


The Draycott Factor

by TowerofBabel



Series: Death Note Chronologies [11]
Category: Death Note & Related Fandoms, Death Note (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Demetre Draycott hates Light Yagami, Multi, Story weaves in and out of Season 1, Unncessary murder
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-04
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-08 02:28:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 63
Words: 141,826
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26818084
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TowerofBabel/pseuds/TowerofBabel
Summary: Kira has a rival. And it isn't the Second Kira. Demetre Draycott (OC) has found a Death Note, the only difference between him and Kira is that he refuses to use it to kill. And as Light Yagami deals with L, he must also deal with Draycott, while shadowy forces pit to usurp Kira from atop his throne. Light has done something horrible and he knows it, and his childhood friend Demetre wants revenge. But while it would be easy to write Light's name down in his own Death Note, Demetre, a very religious people, will not commit  murder to satisfy that desire. He wants to make Light pay in other ways. Meanwhile, an old flame comes back into Light's life from his middle school years and makes a dramatic confession--and reveals to Light that 'Kira' isn't alone in the world!
Relationships: Amane Misa/Yagami Light, L & Yagami Light, Light/Demetre, Ryuk/Yagami Light
Series: Death Note Chronologies [11]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1737532
Comments: 6
Kudos: 7





	1. Prologue

It had observed everything and now it was ready to act. Or rather play. Whatever came first. If he looked at it just so, both were of the same.

The Shinigami descended down the spiral staircase of the time spiral whirlpool, its multi-facet emissions turning its waters off-white to a greyish hue colour, forever flowing like Eternity itself.

He stood there for a moment, thinking. His bones creaked with every movement he made, and a dark energy flowed from this well of "nothing" as he stood next to it.

This place was basically a hole in the middle of the universe, a black hole. And the whirlpool was the only way in or out of Shinigami Realm like a doorway. The Shinigami King denied any other exit or access.

The Shinigami Realm was a bastion of nothingness. There was no natural light, the sky was a constant depressing grey with flashes of cosmic eddies from passing comets that came close to the planet's surface. The planet was of in itself a useless stretch of rock covered with the bones of dead creatures ruled by the Shinigami King, a ruthless being. He was not to be crossed, or it was said a Shinigami would suffer tiers of "Severe Agony," and there were nine of them.

And if a Shinigami disobeyed the Shinigami King or disregarded the laws he governed, and if severe enough, a Shinigami would die under the most horrible of circumstances.

But what truly did it matter? Most Shinigami just sat around sleeping or playing games. They had no interest in anything and most had lost interest in even killing. They only killed when they needed to survive. To keep surviving in this dismal world of nothingness.

The Shinigami stood on an out-cropping precipice that overlooked the swirling waters below. He knew what he was about to do was against Shinigami Law especially after recent events, but he wanted to have a little fun, notwithstanding.

He had dropped his Death Note to the Human World. Now he had go retrieve it. This was not against Shinigami Law, however. If a Shinigami lost his notebook, he had to retrieve it.

Gauging on the advise of another—a grotesque, lanky Shinigami who was now chained in a cave with only a rock opening for a window to look upon this dead world—he had waited a few days before coming here. The Shinigami was not to be named, for he was an outcast, and one who had belligerently caused reputable damage to the Human World, a havoc that wasted human lives without any redeeming purpose other for entertainment.

This was not the Shinigami way.

But how the human who used this Shinigami's Death Note was bizarre, and yet it was not against the rules. How a human used a Death Note was up to them. All they had to be told was anyone who uses a Death Note can neither to Heaven or Hell for eternity.

The Shinigami had tricked the "Old Man" out of a spare one to drop to the Human World.

But now this Shinigami didn't have a Death Note and he was forced to wait for his own demise, to wither away without an ounce of hope of redemption, or collect lifespans to extend his own existence. His punishment was to watch the drudgery world of the Shinigami has his body died and rotted away. It was a fate worse than death like starvation.

Watching old adventures through a "Hole", as Shinigami called it—a large sphere that could show everything that transpired in other realms—the Shinigami enjoyed every moment of the other's escapade. And his boredom now turned to excitement.

Now he would have a chance to share in that same fun, purposely dropping his Death Note to the Human World.

The Shinigami Realm was a dilapidated, barren wasteland. The human world was interesting and lively.

When the other had returned to the Shinigami Realm, he had been immediately stripped of his privileges. But this didn't stop him from being outspoken in his views on how to help the Shinigami who saw no hope. Some of the advise he had learned from his human, the human he had possessed, was insightful.

But the Shinigami King would have no rebellion in his world, and locked the rebel away, and told all other Shinigami speaking with him would result in a similar fate.

The Shinigami barred from seeing anyone was known as the "Infected One".

The Shinigami King didn't want his world changed, or it would alter everything he had built and ruled over. It was a control mechanism for the "Old Man". If the Shinigami didn't think for themselves and did what they were told, he had order.

So the "Infected One" had to be locked away.

The "Kira event", as Shinigami were calling it, provided a temporary distraction, an excitement for the Shinigami, but it was soon forgotten.

But he had watched everything as it had unfolded with keen interest.

The "Hole" saw everything past, present and future. Time was relative, and so were the possibilities of altering certain events, changing them. The Human World generated great interest for him and he wanted to experience it, as well. And after talking with the other, the "Infected One", he knew exactly where to toss his Death Note.

Fun awaited him, and he was eager to embrace it.

Wings sprouted from his back and they spread forth like a vampire bat. He jumped off the precipice and soared into the whirlpool, the liquidities of the space dark matter and other supernatural properties splashed as he entered.

And as he went through, the dark matter engulfed him. He thought of where he wanted to go, drawn by his dropped Death Note.

And then the dark matter jettisoned him out—

He entered the Human World.

He flew across its landscape of Japan, invisible to all those whom were looking up at the starry night sky, and landed on top of a tall skyscraper.

This building was overlooking Japan's urban jungle of flashing lights on its side, in a region known as Kanto. It was testament to human achievement and its vanity of commerce. Humans were so ingenious when it came to constructing monuments and technologies to themselves. They were selfish and ravenous creatures. Smart beasts, as one of his fellow Shinigami once said.

As he perched on the edge of the building, he wondered which human had picked up his Death Note. It called him like a beacon.

The book was here somewhere. A human _had_ already picked it up. But it was not Kira, instead he could sense another similar-like human in possession of it. And this human was close by.

He leapt off the building and took flight, and was excited about the events that would unfold.

_To be continued…_


	2. A New Death Note Emerges

_**Three days earlier — Japan, Kanto Region** _

Demetre Draycott was amongst others in a crowd in Hachiko Square as everybody watched Kira's broadcast on a large video screen situated on the side of a building. He lived in the Kanto Region of Japan, much like Kira, the serial killer who had been targeting vicious criminals around the world with heart attacks and alike.

L's _big_ revelation that Kira lived within the region was a shock to many people, some more than others. Some people were deadly afraid, others shrugged it off. And some people were thrilled that Kira had chosen their community to live it.

He was indifferent to Kira's whereabouts. Demetre didn't care where Kira lived. But in L's challenge to Kira—the detective who wanted to catch Kira—L proved Kira had limits. That Kira wasn't godly or as omnipotent as people were saying. Kira was here, but was he human?

But this wasn't _that_ broadcast, this was a separate live televised one. Or rather a pre-recorded message to the people of the world.

To Demetre, Kira's words felt dictated and rehearsed. And yet he also sensed something different with Kira. This was _not_ Kira. Kira killed criminals, not television personalities that spoke out against Kira. This was someone else pretending to be Kira. A second Kira, perhaps? Could two beings have the same power? It was highly unlikely, but with Kira _existing_ , anything was possible!

As this Second Kira spoke, everyone stopped to listen. The broadcast was exclusive to Sakura TV and just before Kira's message began, an anchor proclaimed that the station _had_ to play the message from Kira under duress, or the station personal would all be killed, which proved that this Kira was a fake. Had Kira hired a videographer and voice over person to do this message?

Kira prognosticated the death of a TV personality on another channel, an NHN station commentator, and Sakura TV aired it with a split screen. The man suffered a heart attack on live television. It was definitely Kira's signature method of murder. But to Demetre, this felt _different_ somehow.

People listened intently as Kira expressed his will and intent and proclaimed soon a new world will emerge that was better and brighter, a world without crime and corruption. But Demetre felt that that was too idealistic and filled with fantasy, it was a child's naive sense of justice. Criminals were dying by heart attacks, known serial killers, rapists and terrorist's. Kira didn't care about the "little crimes", but this Second Kira did. Hence this Kira as a fake and separate from the original.

Thousands of sites were popping up on the internet and people theorized about him. There was even a site called "Kira Underground" that had a forum where a person could post pictures of people who they thought deserved to die. But an explanation had to accompany the name and photo, and there had to be a very good reason for the person to die, not just a child's want because of some stupid immature notion that someone refused to go out with a person, or a kid's parent grounded them for doing something bad. Most were criminals, and some were childish pranks. But it was obvious the real Kira was able to distinguish the serious posters from the jokesters. And only known serious notorious criminals were being killed. The police were obviously monitoring the site, like many other Kira sites, but nothing was done to shut it down.

Murder was morally wrong, but people had a certain respect for what Kira was doing. The world was becoming a safer place for average citizens because of Kira. L's broadcast was interesting, and with the death of Lind L. Taylor, his stand-in, Kira was proven to be real instead of some ghostly spectre. The murder were premeditated and done live.

_But how is Kira killing? By thought waves like a master psychic?_

Rumours told Germans in the Second World War had experimented with such stuff and there were hints of people in the world with unusual powers of mind and body.

_Is this possible with Kira? Is Kira a master government psychic gone rogue? Or is it something more nefarious and sinister? Something the world has never seen?_

But this was something found in a manga, not in real life. It was bizarre, to say the least.

A general panic began to bubble in the crowd, mutterings of fear that the little things some people had done in the past were about to catch up to them like karma. Kira hadn't merely killed a criminal in that NHN announcer, but a man merely outspoken about Kira's actions and views.

That was wrong in Demetre's eyes.

And then there was the police officer who tried to stop the broadcast, collapsing at the station's front doors; that was shown on television, too. And then the other two officers who tried to enter the TV station. All of which were killed by Kira for trying to stop the broadcast.

_Kira—or the Second Kira—meant business!_

The Second Kira's tone was different. And if Demetre had to wager, this second Kira was sending a message to the first, but at the same time declaring his allegiance and loyalty to the first. Anyone not accepting of Kira's judgments were all potential targets.  
Now there was two of them.

When the broadcast ended, or was rather abruptly cut short and replaced with a Sakura TV news anchor, it seemed the Second Kira obviously had more to say. There were mutterings of anxiety and concern within the crowd. Some people once supportive of Kira were now questioning their belief by this new proclamation by Kira. A blanket of a dark psychological fear begin to fill the air.

_But why would Kira allow this other Kira to do this and on live TV?_

Maybe, he wasn't? Maybe he was just as powerless to stop him, and just as surprised?

This Second Kira had powers like the first, this was obvious when it was thought out clearly. However, there were two different personalities at work here. But the Second Kira's voice sounded more submissive, more needy, even though synthesized by a computer. As if asking permission to use Kira's powers to help him, and by demonstrating them in a public forum, as if to say: "Look what I can do."

Demetre's father was a lawyer for an investment firm, they had moved here because his father's business requested his talents in Japan. It was also a good opportunity for Demetre. Japan offered better schools and institutions that also aided in furthering his own scholarly ambitions. They had moved to Japan when Demetre was a kid, he was now in his late teens—eighteen.

The same age as his best friend Light Yagami, and also a childhood friend. And they both attended the same university, To-Oh. It was one of the most prominent in Japan.

With further analyst of the Second Kira, Demetre knew this fake Kira liked the limelight or had become accustomed to it. There was familiarity with it. The real Kira made no announcements of his intent. He merely killed criminals, allowing the media to make up their own mind about him.

But this Second Kira was a complete contradiction of Kira himself.

There was absolute confirmation in his mind that there were two Kira's now. Two beings with the same ability to kill people simply by heart attack— anyone and anywhere. It was truly frightening!

He broke away from the crowd, and escaped into the open. The crowd was beginning to disperse anyway, but he wanted to avoid the hordes of people leaving.

Kira was on all their lips. What was Kira going to do now?

After this public demonstration of power, his intention of order was clear—or was it the Second Kira's ideology? He knew there was going to be plenty of debate on the internet about Kira's new views. Kira wanted to make a better world, but did Kira intend to rule with fear?

The sun was setting. In staying to watch the Second Kira's broadcast, he missed the regular straight-through bus. Now it would take him twice as long to get home. He had come downtown to buy his mother a present for her birthday. Now it would be dark before he got home.

As he cut across the square to take an alternate way home and to catch a bus on a different route, he called home on his cell to tell his mother that he would be late. He got off the phone, and turned into a dark alley, when something slammed into the side of his head from behind.

He staggered a bit, bit didn't fall down. Rubbing the back of his head, he looked back to see what had hit him.

It was a black, thin book, with the appearance of a simple student writing note book.

He looked around, the alley was empty except for him. Three garbage bins were stored here, and escape ladders to apartments littered the walls, but no one was around who could have thrown it.

Picking it up, he read the cover.

"Death Note? As in a notebook of death?" He laughed. He opened it and read the inside cover. There was gothic cursive writing inside.

**_HOW TO USE IT:_ **

**_The name whose written in this note shall die._ **

**_This note will not take effect unless the writer has the person's face in their mind when writing his/her name. Therefore, people with the same name will not be affected._ **

**_If the cause of death is not specified, the person will simply die of a heart attack._ **

_**After writing the cause of death, details of the death should be written in the next 6 minutes and 40 seconds**._

And lastly:

**_Once writing a person's name, if nothing else is written, they will die in forty-seconds._ **

Demetre blinked, stunned.

"This is some serious stuff," he thought out loud. "If this is a prank, it was well thought out."

But it almost felt like a novelty item for a new manga book, or a promotional item for a new anime coming out soon. It sounded like something a manga writer would invent.

He turned over the note book, looking at its texture and binding. The book was so blandly designed, nothing was special about it. But the language was so precise. He revisited the inside, felt the inside. Flat lettering. He also thought it was odd, the language inside was English, the most popular language in the world. But this was Japan. American's enjoyed dubbing Japanese cartoons, so maybe this was for the English speaking consumers for, indeed, a new cartoon coming out.

It was an interesting idea, an intriguing concept.

Suddenly, a thought struck him, and his eyes bulged. His hands shook with both shock and fright as he held onto this "Death Note".  
"A heart attack!" he said, voice breaking, at the sudden coincidence. "Kira kills by heart attack! Could this be Kira's method of killing? Does Kira have a Death Note?" Then he laughed short. It was ludicrous to think about. How could a book kill people?

He thought through all of Kira's killings, and he knew there was merit to it, however.

Kira could have a note book of death in which he wrote down the names of criminals killing them by heart attack! It was so crazy that it could be true! But where would such a notebook come from?

He looked into the darkening sky, but quickly looked down at his feet, and took an unconscious step back. He looked at the book. Could this book have come from some sort of spiritual realm not known to exist? A ghostly realm? A Shinigami Realm?

" _Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth,_ " he said to himself audibly. It was a quote from one of his favourite authors, Arthur Conan Doyle, who wrote Sherlock Holmes. And it seemed to fit the "facts" that this book was something not of this world, or appeared to be.

He looked at the cover of the "Death Note".

"But if it is authentic, should I test it? Would that make me a murderer?"

He scolded himself, and then reached into his shirt to pull out a crucifix attached to a gold chain that his parents had given him for his first communion. He kissed it, and apologized to God.

"There is no other God but you, my Lord. Kira is a fake deity."

Just then, a well dressed man in a dark business suit entered the alley followed by a dusky looking man in a wool hat, jeans and black jacket. The dusky man had a knife and was threatening the business man. The business man was pushed against a brick wall with the knife up against his face. Agitated, almost hurriedly, the mugger demanded the man's wallet.

Ducking behind a metal trash bin, and out of sight, Demetre watched the mugging unfold in seclusion.

The business man scrambled for his wallet in the inside pocket of his suit jacket. He was trembling with fear as he felt for it. When he found it, he gave it to the mugger.

It was obvious Kira wasn't watching or he would kill the mugger where he stood, which proved Kira was not omniscient. Kira killed criminals and this man fitted the bill.

_Where was Kira?_

_The Death Note…_

Demetre looked at it.

If he had the man's name, could he kill the mugger like Kira?

What was he thinking? He was no murderer, and neither was the book he was holding capable of such a supernatural feat. He put the thought of his mind.

_Then again, this man is committing a criminal act, and if he got away, whose to say he wouldn't begin escalating his crimes? Say, murder?_ He chided himself again. _Only God can judge the wicked. But I have to do something to help the man!_

Demetre stood up, and immediately the mugger spotted him, splitting his focus. The knife went up in defence of Demetre's sudden appearance. But Demetre was undaunted by the weapon. He stepped out into the open, the Death Note at his side, as he approached.  
"You shouldn't be doing that," he demanded. "Aren't you afraid of Kira? He kills criminals like you."

The business man stood frozen against the wall.

"I'm not afraid of Kira!" the mugger retorted defiantly. "And who the hell are you?"

"I don't believe you. Everyone is afraid of Kira." Taking out his cell phone, he snapped a picture of the mugger with the camera. "Now, I'll just post your face on the internet, tell Kira why he should kill you and you'll be dead by tomorrow." But he was bluffing. He would never do such a thing, that would be like actually killing some, and that went against his Christian faith.

"You little bastard! Gimmie that phone right now!"

The business man used the distraction to flee in haste. The mugger still had his wallet, but the man obviously didn't care. His life was more important than things that he could get replaced.

However, this brought a new unstable element of danger. And now the mugger's focus fell solely on Demetre. The mugger sneered and raised the knife to Demetre's face. "You little shit! Now I want that phone, and your wallet, too! Hand them over now, and I promise I won't kill you. Just cut ya up a little for messin' with me today! You gotta be street smart, don't screw with me!"

Demetre stepped back. "No, God will punish scum like you! You deserve divine judgement!"

The mugger chuckled. "Look around, kid. You see _Kira_ around? He can't save you!" He then mocked Kira by spitting on the ground. "Kira, the saviour of the masses, the Redeemer, judge, jury and executioner, eh? He doesn't care about a small fry like me, he only cares about waxing his own ego by killing the big fish in prisons! As long as I stay under Kira's radar, he won't kill me. And that's why I want your phone, for it to stay that way! Now hand it over!"

The mugger sliced through the air, and Demetre backed sharply away accidentally dropping the Death Note. The mugger then picked it up.

"You have balls, punk…What's this? Death Note? A strategy guide for some new RPG game or sumthin'?" He sifted through the pages. "It's blank! You got ripped off, kid." He tossed it to the ground next to a trash bag close to Demetre. "Now, do what I say, and _maybe_ I won't kill you. Give me your phone, your wallet, and that gold chain and crucifix around yer neck, too!"

Demetre instinctively put the crucifix back into his shirt. "You're not getting anything from me and I'm not ready to die yet. Only God, not Kira, will tell me when my life's mission is over!"

Grabbing the bag of trash close by, Demetre whipped it at the mugger. The man was surprised by the offensive move and was knocked down, the bag striking him squarely in the mid-section. Using that moment, Demetre kicked the knife out of the man's hand, knowing martial arts, and stomped on his stomach. The mugger reeled in pain. The stomp was hard enough to break a few ribs.

Reaching into the man's pockets, Demetre found the mugger's wallet, in addition to the business man's he had just stolen. Picking up the Death Note, he grabbed a pen from his school bag and began to write the man's name down after seeing an ID card.

The man _had_ begun to escalate his crimes, threatened to kill. And for a moment, he wished for divine judgement upon the man.

The Death Note was just a plaything, but he still needed something to write on. He had the situation under control, but the information he'd write down he could take to the police, so they could hunt down the man later. He also took a snapshot of the man's ID on his phone. There was no way Demetre could take the man to a police man, and he didn't wish to risk it. Let the police do their job.

He threw the man's wallet back.

Hiroko Wannabe. His name meant "generous".

"With this information, be so _generous_ and wait to be judged when I take it to the police!" But then Demetre looked at his watch, as if to countdown the seconds the Death Note said a person would die if their name was written in it. "You have forty-seconds until the end of your existence," he joked.

"You're crazy, kid!" Hiroko Wannabe said breathlessly as he began to get to his feet. "I'll remember your face and I'll hunt you down and slice you and your family to small pieces—"

Suddenly Wannabe clutched his chest and his eyes began to bulge in agony. "No way…" he croaked. "Kira found me!" He collapsed to his knees and fell face first at Demetre's feet. "Kira…"

Demetre stood dumbfound and stunned. He took a step back from the dead man.

"The Death Note…is it for real? The man died of a heart attack?" Demetre crouched down and pressed two fingers to the side of Hiroko Wannabe's neck, he was dead. "Kira, did he kill this man? Or, did…" Demetre gulped, looking at the notebook. "Where did this _evil_ thing come from?"

He wanted to throw it away. Burn it. Bury it. Anything, so no one else used it like he just did, if indeed his actions caused the death of this man. But he couldn't. He felt compelled to keep it.

If it was indeed _real_ , then he could use it do so much good. He wondered if he should test it further.

_Is this how you felt when you found your Death Note, Kira?_

He thought he understood now—Kira's motives. Kira was wiping out the most notorious criminals off the face of the planet to save it, not to rule it. Yet, this Second Kira was killing innocent people in fear.

He had to keep the Death Note. He had to find out who this Second Kira was, and to stop him!

He stepped out of the alley and looked at the setting sun. Then looked down at the Death Note in his hands. This Death Note had fallen from the sky and struck him, almost as if it had chosen him to spread good upon the world. But he would not be like Kira.

He would be his own, separate divinity. He would do good work, God's work, with the Death Note.

If used maliciously, the Death Note was potentially the worse mass murderous weapon the world would ever know. But with _good_ intentions, the world would be brightened, and become peaceful.

Kira was killing criminals and the Second Kira seemed to share his goals, both speculatively using Death Notes. But if the Death Note ever fell into the hands of some unscrupulous person, someone with perhaps political aspirations, that could be disastrous!

He was no saint, and neither did he rebuke fully what Kira was doing. Crime was at an all time low, that was true. Most sensible criminals hid from Kira, but did _he_ now have Kira's power?

"There's a new sheriff in town," he said, then chuckled. "I'm not a murderer, but that man did deserve to die. It was either him or me. If he was pointing a gun at me and I grabbed it away and shot him, it would be self-defence. So, killing the man with the Death Note was self-defence, if indeed I did?Heaven will still accept me, if I did, however. God knows who is good and who is truly evil."

He heard police sirens in the distance. Holding the Death Note close, he quickly left the area. Although he doubt the sirens were for the dead mugger.

That night he couldn't work on a school assignment, instead he went online.

As an member of the website "Kira Underground", he had read about the latest murders by Kira, and like he thought, there was a lot of chatter about the Kira's broadcast today. Many people voiced their concerns about Kira and his new aspirations. Fear and trepidation filled the forums. But no one mentioned that they thought this Kira was a fake. Only he knew that.

Now that he had Kira's power, and his confidence rose. If Kira frequented "Kira Underground"—and why wouldn't he as it is one of the hottest Kira sites around—Demetre wanted to know.

He logged on, and started posting.

_To be continued..._


	3. A Message To Kira - Part 1

Light Yagami stood next to his desk in his bedroom with his arms folded across his chest. A half scowl, half smirk broached his face as he watched the live broadcast on Sakura TV of the impostor Kira.

He couldn't decide whether to be offended by this _Second Kira_ or be in favour of his proclamation. Regardless, he knew he had an ally in his fight to eliminate crime in the world. He also knew this other person with Kira's powers was sending a message to him, sharing his intent, and hoping through his actions to join him.

However, how he went about it was despicable. Killing a TV personality, and also police officers, was not the will of Kira. In fact, all this exposure hurt Kira's credibility. Light did not like this _Second Kira's_ methods in the slightest.

_But where did this Second Kira come from?_

Ryuk stood next to Light as he watched the broadcast, but said nothing. But Light knew the Shinigami was thinking the same thing he was.

Light gave the god of death a sideways glance. Light had found his Death Note by accident after it fell from the sky in the middle of his old high school's courtyard. After reading its instructions, he decided to test it out, but believing it was a prank. He murdered a criminal who had taken school children hostage. After that, he tested it on a street punk, who tried to rape an innocent girl outside a convenience store.

Both criminals were killed by heart attack. Well, while the street punk did die of a heart attack, his brains were also smeared half way down the street when a large truck crashed into his motorcycle when he tried to chase after the girl when she tried to flee her attackers.

After that, despite being at first terrified at what he had just done — killing two people — he then decided to embark on a crusade to cleanse the world of crime by becoming its saviour. He used the Death Note to kill all the worse criminals he could find on the internet and killed them by heart attack. This, of course, brought in Interpol—the ICPO—which then called in L, supposedly the world's best detective to bring Kira down.

But Light wasn't fazed. He was smarter than L.

But he did make one mistake. He accidentally let his ego slip and murdered Lind. L Taylor on live TV. Since then he kept his methods quiet, only killing criminals by heart attack. Even though L had figured out Kira lived in the Kanto Region of Japan, that's all L had. And that where it would stay.

But now, the sudden appearance of this _Second Kira_ was ruining things.

"Another Shinigami has come to the Human World," Light said it matter-of-factly. "And that Shinigami has granted this other Kira the Shinigami Eyes, it would appear. All he needs is a face to kill. His power surpass even mine."

_That doesn't make you smarter than me!_

This Second Kira was apt enough to kill criminals Kira already subjugated to die, but Kira killed hardcore criminals not tabloid journalists. This gave Light a clue to the impostor's identity, albeit the slightest clue — that this Second Kira was a mere child and inexperienced, and that this Second Kira had just recently acquired his Death Note.

_Don't do anything stupid, impostor. You'll generate too much unwarranted attention for me._

Light's father was head of the Kira Task Force under L and had just recently asked for Light to help. L said he wished to use Light's keen mind to dwell deep into the mind of Kira. This was a golden opportunity to get close to L and with any luck, find a way to kill him.

L had no idea that Light was Kira, and the theory posed that these people, however improbable, were being killed supernaturally, was laughable. But it wasn't dismissed totally. Kira was untouchable, nonetheless.

After the broadcast, Light mused for a time.

The next day he was invited to the hotel used by the Kira Task Force.

Under the watchful eye of the members of the task force, he met his nemesis here. L looked nothing like Light had imagined him. L was a quirky looking guy who appeared to have spent too much time living in his parent's basement playing video games. He didn't even dress the part of the world's greatest detective — he was dressed in a long sleeve white sweatshirt and blue jeans and his hair exploded out like Albert Einstein.

But it was always these types to look out for. The quiet ones were the most notorious for unorthodox thinking. And if L's eccentric style was anything to his credit, Light needed to be weary around him. The best thing was to gather information like all detectives before attacking an enemy.

After a brief conversion and introductions all around, although Light knew everyone—the task force members were people whom Light had met before through his father's work—he was seated down and told to watch the Sakura TV broadcast. L had managed to obtain the original tapes sent to Sakura TV and there were four in all. Light had watched the original broadcast on live TV, but he was unaware that where were four tapes.

The first tape predicated the death of the TV personality that had died on live TV, the second tape had the impostor's message to the world, and third and fourth tapes were to be played after the Kira Task Force made their decision to either concede to Kira's demands or refuse him.

And one thing the _Second Kira_ wanted was for L to appear on live TV, showing his face.

Forced to watch them, Light felt nauseous; they were amateurish at best. Obviously Sakura TV had cleaned up their copy for clarity. What he was watching now were the raw copies. They looked like they had been shot on a home video camera and a synthesized voice video dubbed over the video with a Kira graphic.

_Child's play, and any tenth grader could do this! Who is this moron?_

Thoughts of an identity to this impostor coursed through Light's mind, but the only thing he could think of is that of a stupid child. And if so, why would a Shinigami allow a child to be in control of a Death Note? Of course, if the child picked up the Death Note, then the Shinigami would have no other recourse but to obey this child.

But he didn't want to say anything to the others about his theory. It was obvious they had brought him here to ask for his opinion, but he didn't want to give anything. He wanted to find this _Second Kira_ before they did.

After he finished watching the tapes, he mused quietly to himself for a moment. But he felt the eyes of the others upon him, including L's. It didn't make him nervous, but knew something was up.

"So, what do you think?" L asked.

_Damn, it's a test._

He stood up and spelled out what he thought, honestly. But kept his theory to a bare minimal. He told them he thought there was a Second Kira, and how this person had the same powers as the original.

L confirmed his theory and his Light's father seemed impressed by Light's deduction. Apparently by their reaction, they had already reasoned out a Second Kira personality. Light knew by his theory he had cast even more suspicion upon himself. That L had thought Light was Kira, by some stretch of the imagination. But how Kira was doing the killings was still a mystery to both L and the task force.

As long as the Death Note remained secret, L had nothing.

As if in defiance of Light's secret smugness of the situation, L decided something was warranted.

"Light, I would like you to play the part of Kira," L said. "And I need you to script something for us to respond to this _Second Kira_. Do you think you can do that?"

Light gasped silently to himself, and Ryuk, who had come with him, and who had been listening to everything in secret, began to laugh with a loudness that hurt Light's ears.

Light withheld a sneer.

_Yet another test,_ he reasoned.

L obviously planned this all along. What better way than for _Kira_ to script a response to the _Second Kira_ , than for the prime suspect to do so. And Light knew what he would say to this impostor. But being drawn here under false pretences made Light hate L even more.

Light stared at his rival, and L gazed at him with a hidden smugness as if to say: _I just made the first move, let's see what you do?_ Light knew L wanted to see Light's response in being played, but he wasn't going to give L the satisfaction, and agreed.

For the next couple of hours, Light scripted a careful response. He knew exactly what he wanted to say and had no problems in wording it. After he was finished, he called L.

L read it over. "Looks good, Light. But if we don't remove the part where the _Second Kira_ is free to kill me, I'll end up dead."

Light laughed. "That's fine," he said. "I just worded it the way if _I_ were Kira, but you change what you want."

Light's father chided him for saying, "If _I_ were Kira." He didn't want Light talking that way.

Light understood and apologized, but the fact that he _was_ Kira, made it amusing. Parents were so gullible about their kids.

"Other than that," L continued, "it looks good." L handed over the script to Shuichi Aizawa, one of the task force members. "Aizawa will do the narration to tape and we'll add a Kira graphic. Then we'll send it to Sakura TV and wait for a response."

But despite the changes, Light hoped the Second Kira would read between the lines and murder L anyway.

_That is Kira's true wish!_

In fact, it was Light's ultimate goal at the moment.

With L dead, he could move forward with his plans for a better world. If only the _Second Kira_ hadn't emerged. Things were going fine with Light alone. There had to be a reason for another Shinigami to arrive in the Human World, and Light intended to learn this truth at all costs.

With his job done, Light left the hotel and walked home alone. Or, as much alone as he could be with a Shinigami at this side. There were some moments Light would rather be alone, but he didn't have that luxury anymore, and he dealt with it.

"Things seem to be getting out of hand," Ryuk remarked, almost amused. He flew in the air behind Light.

Light didn't respond. While no one could see Ryuk, they would still be able to hear Light speaking. And with the street noise, Light would have to raise his voice. If so, others could hear him speaking to _himself_ , and he would get strange looks from strangers. It was best not to say anything at all to Ryuk until they got to a safer location.

When they reached a quiet area, Light then said, "There's nothing to be concerned about, Ryuk. As long as this _Second Kira_ doesn't do anything stupid, L will never know about the Death Note. But I must find this imposter first, so I can tell him to stop this needless killing. He got my attention." Light stopped for a moment and looked at Ryuk. "Tell me something, Ryuk, does anyone else know that you're here? Why would another Shinigami visit? You said the Shinigami Realm is a boring place. Is every Shinigami bored?"

Ryuk shrugged. "I'm just as curious as you are," he said. "In fact, it's actually quite exciting to know another Shinigami is here. I could have dropped my Death Note, anywhere. It just happened to land here and you just happened to pick it up, at random. Like I said, you weren't chosen because you're so smart. You obtaining the Death Note was mere coincidence. But I like how you're using it. Very entertaining!"

Light scowled. "Yes, you've already said that," he said displeased. "But coincidence never happens twice, that's the whole theory of coincidence. Is there anyway you can locate this other Shinigami, so I can meet this other Kira?"

"Do you want to meet him or kill him?"

"If he has the Shinigami Eyes and if I deem it necessary, then I will kill him to quiet his rumblings. _I am_ Kira, no one else! He's dangerous. There's no way to know he won't turn on me. I must determine his true intentions. Whether he's truly sympathetic to my cause or he wants to eliminate me and become Kira himself, I need to know. Once I've determined that, then my plans can move forward. But right now, he has an advantage. I need to tread carefully. I'm being attacked on two fronts: from L and from this impostor. Hopefully after I get a reply to my message, I'll know the truth."

"So are you still going to kill criminals?"

"Of course. I won't let this charlatan dictate how I will do things. I'll continue to punish criminals as I see fit. L still suspects me, his profile on Kira is dead on. But let him suspect me. I'm not worried. Perhaps this other Kira will even put pressure on L to split his attention? The task force is already spread too thin and the ICPO isn't doing much to help L, so two against one are better odds. But I won't share the world. There will only be one god of the new world. And _that_ will be the _one and only_ Kira!"

_To be continued..._


	4. A Message To Kira - Part 2

After thirty minutes, Light returned home with Ryuk, and after giving his mother and sister a friendly greeting, he went straight up to his room and locked the door. He dropped on his bed and lay back with his hands behind his head and began to think. Gazing up at the ceiling, he thought about his next step.

But until the _Second Kira_ responded to his message, all he could do was wait.

Ryuk entered his field of view and the Shinigami smiled broadly. His mouth gave him more of a clown look, than a god of death. But there was still a sinister way about him. Ryuk may have been bored when he dropped the Death Note to the Human World, but Shinigami were not dumb creatures. Ryuk knew what he was doing. Attached to Ryuk's belt was another Death Note. The one Ryuk dropped that Light now possessed was a duplicate.

"You wanna play some video games?" the Shinigami asked.

Light didn't respond. He merely stared blankly, thinking.

Ryuk's ghastly face and wide eyes didn't faze Light as the Shinigami stared at him, not like they had when they had their first encounter. Light was able to see past Ryuk, his mind's eye the focus of his thoughts. So many thoughts raced through Light's mind and it was starting to give him a headache.

"Come on, just because you're in university now doesn't make you immature to have a little fun. All work and no play makes Light a boring human. It's been a while. I like that RPG game you have, you know, the one where's you're a cop, and you have to kill all those zombies—"

"Enough Ryuk! I have more important things to think about than playing games."

Light sat up, forcing Ryuk to back off. He then went to his desk, sitting down in the chair. He took out the Death Note from its secret, hidden compartment in his upper drawer, and opened it. Then turned on his computer. With all the surveillance equipment and wiretaps L had planted around his house, now removed, when L first suspected Light of being Kira, he could now continue to judge criminals from the sanctity of his bedroom.

"It's late, and I haven't killed any criminals today," Light said. "L kept me the hotel most of the night. It will be suspicious if no one died today under Kira's watch."

Surfing the internet, he went to the website known as _Kira Underground_.

There was a threat L had planted a Trojan Virus in his computer at some point to see what sites Light went to, but Light was smarter than that, and build himself his own "watchdog code" inside his computer, and if anyone was spying on him, he'd know it, and the program would stop it in its tracks.

After a quick scan, Light knew L wasn't watching him at the moment, so he was safe to surf the net.

_Kira Underground_ had the most recent uploaded information on Kira's events. Well, speculative information. From the bustling activity on the forums, people were talking heavily about the _Second Kira_ and the broadcast. And what people were saying was not flattering.

Light was right, the impostor had tarnished Kira's reputation with those senseless killings on Sakura TV this afternoon, and Light wasn't going to allow him to get away with it. Once found, he'd make the _Second Kira_ pay for his audacity and ruination. In the meantime, he had to continue to kill more criminals, and play around with L some more. Soon the public's fears would be put to rest. Support for Kira was growing. He knew there was opposition, but that came with the territory, and people were always fearful of change.

He went to a thread where people posted names and pictures of those they wished to die, and explanations on why they should be killed. Most were hardened criminals, but some posts were pranks or angry kids who were pissed off with their parents or other people, and wanted them dead.

Light only responded to serious requests. And if criminals posted here were killed by Kira, then that proved Kira was watching and responding. No wonder _Kira Underground_ was the most popular Kira website on the net and why thousands of people visited it daily. Whoever had created the website must be making a fortune. But while someone was making money off Kira, Light let it pass. The creator of the website was performing a well deserved service.

No doubt the police were monitoring the site, as well, with L. Watari was a very capable assistant to L. But despite L's coy ways in attempting to track him, it all came down to simple curiosity. _Kira Underground_ was the hottest Kira website on the net. L would be foolish not to use it to his utmost advantage.

Light spent an hour writing down criminal names in the Death Note and then took a break. He was cleansing the world one criminal at a time, but it was taking its toil. He put his pen down and flexed his hand, writer's cramp had set in. He leaned back in his chair and breathed out, recuperating after all his hard work.

He then took a sip of tea he had gotten from downstairs.

Ryuk lay on his bed, eating an apple. "This is boring," the Shinigami said.

"Well, unless you're willing to scour the city and locate the _Second Kira_ for me, there's not much you can do," Light said. "Is there?"

"Every day you write down names. Don't you get bored of doing the same thing day after day?"

Light took another sip of tea, then said, turning to Ryuk, "Never. I'm serious in creating a brand new world, and doing so takes time and sacrifice. _You_ merely write down a person's name and kill them, then take their remaining lifespan, adding it to your own. Now don't you consider _that_ boring? Obviously, or you wouldn't be _here_. I'm building a brand new world populated by kind, hard working people. Soon everyone will see the brilliance of what I'm doing!"

"You know what, I've seen games like this. People play God and build a new world. Only to have it destroyed by some natural disaster or an invading armed force."

"You mean in SIMS, where you create a world according to your own design." Light agreed. "I see the irony. But this isn't a game, this is real life! And Japan does have its share of earthquakes, but we haven't been invaded by alien lifeforms yet." Light cocked his head. "Unless you count gods of death?" He smirked.

Light suddenly saw Ryuk's stare above his head. The Shinigami's head tilted curiously.

"What is it?" Light asked, actually looking above his head. But all he saw was the ceiling.

"Your lifespan as changed, the numbers are different now."

Light wasn't sure if he should be concerned or not. "So, what does that mean?"

Ryuk sat up, gulped the apple down. "People's lifespans change all the time, but even we Shinigami don't know why. However, when that does happen, it usually means something has taken place within the time-space continuum; it's always changing. Nothing to worry about, I think? Perhaps this other Shinigami has something to do with it? There's a theory in the Shinigami Realm. When you take a life, you alter another person's destiny. Other people are affected indirectly. The universe reorders itself and continues. You've killed a lot of people and changed many destinies. Perhaps this is why your lifespan numbers have changed since last I looked at them? You might have killed someone that directly affected you in some way in the future, and now that they're gone, your numbers have changed? Or, this _Second Kira_ might have done something that brings events into play that will somehow directly affect you?"

Light turned back to his computer unconcerned. "As long as it hasn't shortened my life, I'm not going to worry about it. But, of course, you'll never tell me either way, huh?" He briefly looked back at Ryuk. Ryuk merely produced a thin smile, and shrugged. The Shinigami then chuckled, as if Light not knowing was entertaining to him.

Light returned his attention to other matters and went back to writing down more names down in the Death Note.

His phone then beeped with a text message. He had registered to a third party site that informed him about the latest information on Kira. He quit writing in the Death Note and opened his phone. The message with text had a link to Kira Underground. As he was already on the site, he put down the phone, and went to the link on his computer.

The thread post read: **A MESSAGE FROM L TO KIRA.**

His heart figuratively skipped a beat. This had to be a joke. L would never be so ostentatious like this. True, he wanted to catch Kira, but posting a message on _Kira Underground_ was too bold, even for L.

He clicked on the thread, and was instantly relieved. It wasn't from L. But he was also equally disappointed. It was a joke. Someone had mockingly started the thread.

**_Ha! Ha! Made you look!_ **

People were already replying to it since he received the text and they all chide its originator for starting it.

**_Idiot! Loser! That was not funny! Kira should kill you for starting this! — were the first four posts._ **

And the rants continued.

But it was the twenty-first message that caught his eye. It was a Haiku, Japanese poetry, consisting of three short stanzas, and it was written in English, the most popular language in the world.

It read:

**_A brisk fresh breeze._ **

**_Bringer of dreams!_ **

**_A gift from Ida-Ten._ **

Out of all the replies, it was the only one that sounded intelligent. Was this a message from the _Second Kira_ , or was it someone playing an intelligent joke? The person had the handle of ' _Ghost'._ From the symbolic nature of the Haiku, the person was obviously educated. Although amateurish, in Light's mind, it was still smartly written.

Each stanza had a significant meaning and it was obviously meant for Kira to read.

_A new beginning brings hope._ That's what it meant, Light concluded. And that's what Kira was doing. In using the Death Note, he was cleansing the world and bringing about a new beginning to the world.

Recalling his mythology, Ida-Ten was the Buddhist god of law and religion and monasteries, and physically, he was a handsome young man.

_Is this a clue to your identity, Second Kira?_

If this was the Second Kira, then this is all he had to do—not broadcast on Sakura TV and create a panic. He had Light's—Kira's—attention with this Haiku now. He would follow this ' _Ghost_ ' poster now.

For a moment, he thought of his friend Demetre Draycott—or Demmy, as he often called him.

Demmy was an American who moved to Japan when his father was offered a job position here, when Demmy was a kid. He had met Demmy purely by accident at the same school they were attending and they hit it off, and they began best friends. He was an intelligent guy, and this was something that he would write.

But Demmy was much smarter than this _Second Kira_ could ever be.

"Aren't you going to respond?" Ryuk inquired, looking over Light's shoulder. "Sounds like this thread is meant for you."

Light leaned back in the chair letting the Shinigami have a closer look at the computer screen.

"Of course not, and for obvious reasons," Light said. But he didn't explain them to Ryuk. He took another sip of tea. "If the other Kira truly sent me a message, I'd know it, not some childish taunt. Let's just see what he'll do next."

But for some reason, the Japanese Haiku got Light thinking. Did Kira have a fan?

* * *

Demetre was unfettered. Twenty-four hours later and still no response from Kira, when he checked his phone.

The thread he started on Kira Underground had generated a lot of attention.

**A MESSAGE FROM L TO KIRA** , and its beginning post under an another handle.

Hundreds of people had replied to it scolding him, hoping Kira would kill him for his blasphemy. But despite the ridicule, this was exactly what he wanted. Kira was bound to see it. It was to draw his attention.

His second post, the twenty-first post, however, was a direct message to Kira. Posted under his handle 'Ghost', he knew Kira would understand it. The Japanese Haiku, but written in English, was a direct message:

**_A brisk fresh breeze._ **

**_Bringer of dreams!_ **

**_A gift from Ida-Ten._ **

But he should have known Kira would not reply. The police were monitoring the site. Any direct communication and his IP address would probably be tracked, even though his self-built computer would block their attempts.

Nevertheless, he hoped Kira got the message, despite the dribble of replies that followed.

Sitting in Psychology class at To-Oh University, he listened as the professor lectured on the importance of the human psyche. He passed the entrance exams with a near perfect GPA average, only missing one question.

He finished second to one person: Light Yagami. Well, third, if he counted Hideki Ryuga—a weird looking guy with mop top black hair who recited the freshmen address with Light at this years Entrance Ceremonies, wearing a long sleeve, white shirt, and jeans. Completely contrary to Light in a suit and tie. They were polar opposites. Hideki Ryuga looked like a mad genius.

Both Light and Ryuga had perfect scores. No one ever got a perfect score on the entrance exams and an investigation was called. But their grades were legitimate. And rumour had it that they were called in for a private oral examination with random questions to disprove any speculation of cheating.

A prodigy, that's what people were calling Light Yagami. He was also an excellent tennis player. Ryuga was too.

He was at the courts when Light and Ryuga had a match. It started out as a friendly game, but soon erupted into to a gruelling battle between titans, with Light the victor. Watching the match, it was almost like Light Yagami had something to prove, like he did when he was Junior Champion. Demetre was there for that and cheered him on. Best friends, they had known each other since he moved to Japan when his father's firm transferred him here from America. Soon after he attended his new school, he met Light Yagami, and they quickly became friends.

In the same Psychology class, Light sat in the middle section of the lecture hall. Sitting next to him was the famous "Miss Todai", Kiyomi Takada, nick-named such because of her refinement and sophistication. She was Light's girlfriend. How they met was a mystery, but they seemed a perfect match for each other.

When class ended, students began to file out of the lecture hall. He packed his books away in a carry bag and then started down the steps to the main floor. Just as he passed the middle section he saw a cell phone on the ground under a chair. Picking it up, he flipped it open, wondering whose it was. Scrolling through the contacts, he recognized the name Kiyomi Takada. And his own.

Then he realized this was the exact spot Light was sitting. Light must have dropped his cell and didn't notice it. Distracted by Takada, who could blame him. Takada was eye-catching.

Light had just left, maybe he could catch up to him in the hall. Looking at his watch, he knew he couldn't. He had another class across campus and didn't have time to spare going after his friend. But he didn't want to leave it here just in case someone else picked it up. The professor was gone, and he had no one else to give it to that he trusted.

He would just keep it. He wrote a note and left it on the Prof's desk for Light to find when he returned when he finally remembered his phone. And then left.

The note said:

**Light. I found your phone.**   
**I'll give it back to you later.**

**\- Demmy**

_To be continued..._


	5. Human And Shinigami Finally Meet

The Shinigami flew over the city and homed in on the Death Note he had dropped, landing on the roof a two-story house within a compact rural neighbourhood. He was bound to it. His large wings retracted back into his back and he gazed over the landscape, observing humans engaged in daily activities.

Entering the domicile, becoming transparent, he sunk through its exterior façade and landed on the top floor. He looked around and saw he was in a corridor. Next to him was a flight of stairs that went down to the next floor, and around him were three doors. He entered the closest door and found himself staring at a strange looking object.

It was white porcelain bowl retaining water. On one side was a metal handle. He touched it, pulled it down, and it flushed water down a tiny hole. Then if filled back up slowly.

_Fascinating_ , he thought. An indoor water closest.

Also in the room was a water basin with a cabinet over top, two taps each deposited water into the basin when turned. From memory, he thought humans called this room the bathroom. It was where they got rid of their biological excrement. Shinigami had no need for such things, as they had no need for sustenance. The occasional apple was all the food they craved.

Shinigami were the walking dead and needed no food to exist. They existed purely by the will of the Shinigami King for his purpose alone. But he didn't ask why Shinigami were still needed and he doubt he would get an answer.

He left the bathroom and returned to the corridor, then entered through a second door. But this was not the human's room he was looking for, and left.

Entering the third door, this was where the human who had his Death Note slept, apparently.

And he saw the human that he sought.

The human had his back turned and was sitting at a desk, writing something. The Shinigami went over and looked over the human's shoulder. The human was writing something on a device with an alpha-numeric keyboard, commonly referred to as a computer. Data sent electronically through the keyboard appeared on a monitor and viewed. The human was writing a message on an website called _Kira Underground_.

He knew the name Kira. It was the name of the man who tried to be a god by using the Death Note.

The other Shinigami he spoke to told him about him and he had also watched the events play out in the temporal time viewer in the Shinigami Realm, also known as an Orb. But this was not that human, this human was different looking. However, this human shared similar outward features with the human known as Kira. He would even go as far even saying he was a good looking human being. But he was still growing, he was a still a teenager.

Humanity was not foreign to him. All Shinigami were once human, although most have forgotten what they looked like. The rules of the Death Note say: Anyone who used a Death Note cannot go to Heaven or Hell. They go to Mu (Nothingness). But nothingness is not what it sounded like. Even nothingness was a place. And from the state of the Shinigami Realm, it was close to nothingness as nothingness can get.

_I was human once, but I can't remember who I was a previous life. I've lived in the Shinigami Realm for what seems like an eternity, or that's what it feels like when you can't remember your past. Perhaps that's why I find the human world so fascinating? Maybe coming here will trigger something from my past? Help me remember who I may have been? I want to remember who I was. However, right now, my objective is clear. Retrieve my Death Note. I hope I'm not wasting my time here? Although, when I look in a reflection surface, I do not recognize any part of myself._

"So, you are the human who picked up my Death Note," the Shinigami finally said.

The human sharply turned around and screamed, falling out of his chair. Then he backed into a corner. "Wha-what the hell?"

"Don't be afraid. I am the Shinigami, Geist. You picked up my Death Note. I came to the Human World to see who now possesses it. I am attached by sacred Shinigami law to it." Geist looked around, but he didn't see the Death Note anywhere. "Where is it?"

"It's in my book bag," the human said, and slowly got to his feet and inched to his desk. He retrieved it, showing the Shinigami the notebook.

The Shinigami saw the human brazenly look him over. At first the human was frightened, but now he seemed fascinated by his appearance.

There was a standing mirror next to a wall in the room and Geist looked at himself. An eight foot tall, glowing red eyes, bipedal, skeleton, wearing brown pants, a button shirt, boots with frills, and a long trench coat, with a large tuff of brown hair surrounded by a red headband and pair of diamond goggles. He knew his sense of style was a bit crude and ostentatious, but it was this or nothing. Strapped to his back was a large bone club. It was a weapon.

"What are you?"

"I told you, I am Shinigami—a god of death!"

"You look more like a reject from a rock band by the way you're dressed."

"Do not mock me, human! A Shinigami does not choose their appearance; it's granted by the Shinigami King. He decides everything that occurs in the Shinigami Realm."

"The Shinigami Realm, you mean a mirror ghost realm shadowing this one?"

"Correct human. We Shinigami have existed since the beginning of time, and we can see everything past, present and future. For instance, I can see your name and lifespan above your head. The numbers indicate how many years you have left."

"So you know when I'm going to die?"

Geist nodded. "Yes, but we Shinigami don't normally tell humans their lifespan, for it may alter the lifespan of another human. For example, if I decided to kill you now, the rest or your years will be added to my own. But I have no wish to kill you. I came to the Human World to be entertained. I purposely dropped my Death Note here hoping a human would pick it up. How you use it is entirely up to you. How many people have you killed?"

"The word: kill is a harsh world. I protected myself, nothing more."

"One person? I would have thought you'd follow the same path was the other…he lives in Japan, too."

"Do you mean Kira?"

"Yes, that is the name you human's have given him. He also has a Death Note, as well as this Second Kira, who has recently appeared. Therefore, there are three Shinigami now, including myself, that are in Human World."

The human grinned. "I knew it. All those heart attacks were attributed to a common cause: the Death Note. So you dropped your Death Note hoping I'd follow the same path as Kira? Well, sorry to disappoint you, Shinigami, but I have no intention of following Kira's destructive pattern of death. I have a much loftier purpose for it."

"And that is?"

"Explaining it would be boring. You said you came to the Human World to be entertained? Then what better way of being entertained that to watch what I have planned?" He opened the Death Note and read the name. "The police have already found this man's body, and because the cause of the death was a heart attack, they're blaming his death on Kira. I don't plan on murdering anyone like Kira. I plan on using it to seek justice and to square off against Kira. You see, Kira killed my grandfather. He was arrested and accused of being an embezzler of the company he worked for, and Kira killed him despite the circumstantial evidence against him. I'm going to make Kira pay for his crime."

"So you plan on using the Death Note to help the innocent against Kira's killings?"

"Of a sort, but I do have my own agenda, and part of it is to kill Kira for murdering my grandfather. But I do have other plans, grandeur plans, and the Death Note will help me execute them, and to make my ideals a reality."

"You've peaked my interest, human. However, there is something you must know before your continue. Anyone who uses the Death Note can neither go to Heaven nor Hell."

"Nice of you tell me after I've used it. But I'm not concerned. God will forgive me. Before I picked up the Death Note, Kira projected himself as a god. But there is only _one_ God! And _He_ is the Alpha and the Omega, _not_ Kira. Now I know he's nothing more than another human, I don't have to fear. Anything else?"

"A Shinigami is not obligated to tell the human who possesses a Death Note its rules and regulations. However, there is no rule against it, so saving confusion I'm going to tell you everything I know about it. The Shinigami who is attached to the Death Note Kira is using will not divulge what I am about to tell you. That Shinigami is a coy god of death, while I am benevolent. But be warned, anyone who uses a Death Note will feel the fear and pain of using it. A human must have convictions in its usage or it will control that human instead of the human controlling it."

"So it will possess me like a ghost and make me do horrible things? Like Kira?"

"All it takes is a spark of evil in a human's heart for the Death Note to rule over them."

"Humans are inherently cruel and evil, and we _have_ been since the dawn of time. We cannot control our genetics, but we can control our fate. Nothing is written down in stone except the laws of God. If you have seen the future, then you know what happens to Kira. What if that is altered? What will that do to space and time?"

"You may have already done so. That man you killed may have altered events and changed the timeline. But I am uncertain. The timeline I saw may happen differently now. But it's best not to contemplate such things. Besides, you humans cannot grasp the complexities of space and time despite your advanced technologies."

"Along with our cruelty and malice, we humans are also intelligent. What we don't know, we learn. And what seems incomprehensible, we theorize. We are the smartest beasts on the planet."

" _Smart beasts…_ " the Shinigami repeated. "Very well, I'm eager to see what entertainment you can provide me. By the way, human, what is your name?"

"You can call me Demetre Draycott-or _Demmy_ , for short."

_To be continued..._


	6. Light Lost Love Interest

With his parents out for a wedding anniversary—they had been planning and raving about it for weeks now, dinner and dancing—this left Demetre home alone for the evening. So, he made his own supper and took it up to his room to eat.

As he ate, like a curious cat, he found himself scrolling through Light's phone directory, pictures, and videos. He and Light were best friends, but what better way to find out more about someone than to sneak a peak through their personal life, namely their phone. He knew this was a breach of trust, but what Light didn't know wouldn't hurt him.

There were quite a few names in Light's phone directory, including Light's father's, home, the usual emergency numbers like fire, hospital and police, and…

He gasped. Light still had Dana Chika's number and her email address. The phone number was probably disconnected and the email address deleted, but this told Demetre Light still had feelings for her, and he couldn't let her go. She was the love of his life at one point, and they were madly in love.

Dana then broke Light's heart and left him without a trace, and Demetre recalled how he had helped his friend overcome the heartbreak. It took weeks, but with him, Light began to heal.

But even now to mention Dana was taboo. It was curious, however, that Dana's information was still in Light's phone after all these years. Light had purchased a new phone since then, but it he must have merely inserted the SIM card in to keep all his contacts.

_Did Light secretly think that one day he'd find Dana again and they'd get back together?_

Demetre shook his head. _Not likely my friend, she liked you, but I have a secret. Dana was actually in love with something else when she was seeing you_.

He didn't know why that humoured him. Dana abandoning Light and disappearing without a trace was devastating for Light.

He ate slowly, and then cloned Light's phone using a special program on his computer. He had an extra phone, and used it to make this phone a duplicate of Light's. In every way, this was _Light's phone_ , except its outer appearance. He'd return Light's phone to him later with him none the wiser.

"What are you doing?" Geist asked. The Shinigami looked over Demetre's shoulder as he added the finishing touches to the cloned phone.

"I'm curious in nature," Demetre replied. "When opportunity arises, take it."

"But why are you making a _clone_ of your friend's phone? What point will it serve?"

"After looking through Light's phone, I found a couple of numbers of interest. By cloning Light's phone I can listen in on any calls. Light is no doubt in some way involved in the Kira case, it's a big case. He's probably pestering his father to investigate it, that's just the way he is. He's helped his father on a few cases in the past."

"You humans are very unusual and deceptive, even with your friends. It's a wonderment you have survived this long without destroying yourselves."

"Perseverance, we strive to achieve," Demetre said. "And sometimes that takes dubious tactics. I'm calling my efforts 'Schrödinger's Gambit'."

"What a weird name," Geist remarked. "Why _that_?"

"My plan is based on a highly sound principle. In laments terms, you insert a cat into a completely enclosed box with two small dishes of food. One dish is flaked with poison and the other is not. The entire principle is based on theory: which one do you believe the cat tasted first, and dying, without observing the method?"

Geist looked confused.

Demetre sighed annoyed when the Shinigami didn't get the point. "If Light gets any information about the Kira case from his father, however slight—anything that can lead me to the identity of Kira or this Second Kira—then I can use it to my strategic advantage and pounce on it. So, I'm using Schrödinger's Cat to test a theory of whether or not Light's father can keep a secret despite being in a position of high authority. Light is smart, and his father may need his help. So, I'm theorizing on the belief that classified information will be leaked out and I'm cloning Light's phone to overhear any calls _for_ this information. Light is Schrödinger's Cat. Do you get it now?"

"To enact revenge on Kira for murdering your grandfather?"

Demetre shook his head. "I _will_ make Kira pay for what he did, but I'll do it with subtly. The easiest method to stop a mass murderer is to kill him. But if you expose him, that's even better. I'll expose Kira for the hypocrite that he is to the entire world!"

"But why _spy_ on your friend? Aren't you _best friends_? You've known him since childhood, you went camping with Light Yagami and his father, learned survival skills, you told me."

Demetre scowled, looked at the Shinigami. "Whose side are you on, Geist?"

"I am no one's _side_ , human. I am here for entertainment, nothing more, nothing less. If you wish to hunt down Kira for killing your grandfather, you can do what you like. My own concern is: Will it be _fun_?"

Demetre turned back to his computer, typed some code to finish off the cloning process. "Oh, it will be _fun_ , Geist. Trust me on that. And I trust Light, he's my best friend. But any information I can get will be very beneficial in tracking Kira down. So, if I have to use Light or his father to do it, then that's the path I will have to take. A good detective uses everything at his disposal."

"I can see why your father is so successful," Geist said. "You take after him."

"My father is one of the top criminal lawyers in his firm. You'd think he'd be snubbed for being American, because so many people have a poor image of America—that we like to rattle the sabre, interfere with foreign nations to prove our dominance, and attack with a use of military might when diplomacy fails. When my family first moved to Japan when I was five, it was difficult settling in. I was an outsider. Light was the only one at our grade school that stepped up and talked to me when everyone else ignored me. He's always been that kind of guy, he did what he wanted, without being a rebel. And we've been friends— _best friends_ —ever since."

"And yet here you are cloning your best friend's phone to spy on him." Geist chuckled softly. "But to each his own. You humans have always been so fascinating."

When Demetre finished cloning Light's phone, he put it away in a desk drawer. It was a simple black flip phone.

"The media will have more relevant news on Kira, juicy news," Geist said. "The police are baffled by Kira, and now this Second Kira. If your friend's father is a detective, sharing information with his son would not be prudent. Your culture likes to keep secrets."

"Humans have an uncanny need to gossip even about secrets. Light's studying to be a police officer and his father might want Light's insight. Years ago, Light helped the NPA in a fraud case. With information Light collected from the media and his own _way of thinking_ , he was able to determinate a pattern to the criminal's intent, and the NPA was able to set up a sting operation to catch him. Light was very influential in that case and received a commendation. He's an intelligent guy. Yet, so am I. We share similar interests and _ways of thinking_. That's why I think, eventually, Light's father will want his son's input in the case. And when he does, this cloned phone will act as that medium."

"You want to follow in your own father's footsteps, and yet this is dishonest." Geist shrugged. "I thought you'd be above this sort of criminal activity?"

Demetre smiled amused. "Sometimes even the police must stoop to being criminals themselves to stop an escalation of criminal activity. It's just the way it works. Being dishonest helps."

Light's phone vibrated and rang. Demetre let it finish, because he didn't want to speak with the person who may be calling. After a voicemail alert sounded, then he opened Light's phone.

The call was from HOME.

He took out his cloned phone; it said the same thing. The cloning had been successful.

Demetre grabbed a light spring jacket and left his house. The Shinigami followed him close behind.

Geist suddenly sprouted wings and flapped them every once in a while to hover above Demetre.

It felt weird having a god of death follow him, but he had made his choice and to deal with Geist's company until the Death Note was completed or his own demise. One of the rules in the Rule Book said it fell on the Shinigami to kill the human they possessed when it was time do so. Luckily, Demetre's mission will be finished and he'll no longer care.

"Where are we going?" Geist asked.

"To return Light's phone, I'm done with it."

Geist suddenly chuckled and Demetre didn't know why, but it was unimportant and walked on.

As Demetre walked through the narrow streets of the housing complex where Light lived, it was only a twenty minute walk to his semi-detached townhouse, it was exciting to think about how much power he had at his fingertips with the Death Note.

With the emergence of Kira, it was easy to see how a fool could be tempted to change the world in the way Kira was doing things. Only a fool would think this way, he thought. Kira was a fool in thinking killing criminals would change the way people thought how to live. Fear wasn't the answer, education was the key to change the methodology of the Human Race.

_But how can I use the Death Note to educate people to change for the better? I will_ not _kill like Kira.  
_

He knew things were going to get a lot more interesting. A war was about to erupt.

It will be Kira versus Kira Squared in a battle for the world.

Which one would come out victorious? Which one would die at the hands of the other? Or would they join forces and become even stronger?

He had no worry about the idiot, the Second Kira. He was an even bigger fool than the original. And as long as kept a low profile, he didn't have to worry about L.  
No one knew who L was. Well, Geist knew. But he wasn't about to spoil his fun.

L had just appeared out of the blue one day to confront Kira on Sakura TV. He was just as mysterious as Kira, and he was also just as dangerous. L controlled the police and every law enforcement agency in the world.

There was nothing worse than an intelligent foe. Kira may have had the power to kill by supernatural means, but L had the entire world's police at his disposal to combat him. And the world was not big enough to hide in anymore.

Kira's identity would be revealed soon enough. There are always clues to follow, patterns to map. A serial killer like Kira has a distinct personality. One slip could cost Kira everything.

_But can L and human ingenuity actually defeat a supernatural weapon like the Death Note?_

To be continued...


	7. Kira Exposed

Demetre arrived at Light's home and he stood at the front for a moment contemplating what he had just done—cloned his best friend's phone. It was purposeful to get information. He feel a pang of regret, but only for a moment. This was a major breach of trust, and if Light ever found out it would destroy their friendship.

But it was a risk Demetre had to take, no one was going to stop him.

Geist, oddly, remained apart from him as Demetre knocked on the door. No one but Demetre could see the Shinigami. So why was Geist _hiding_ in the shadows? He'd have to ask Geist later.

The door opened, and Demetre smiled as Light's little sister greeted him. Sayu Yagami smiled.

"Demmy, long time no see. How have you been?"

"I've been okay. University is a pain."

"Light says the same thing, but he's just bored—everything comes easy to him. My big brother is a genius. I'm kinda jealous."

"That's why he has you to keep his life _interesting_ ," he joked.

Sayu smirked. Light had often mentioned how at times Sayu could be annoying, always asking him questions about her homework and often getting him to do it for her.

"Is Light home?" Demetre then asked. "I have his cell phone. He left it at school today. I left him a message saying I had it."

"I'm surprised he could be so irresponsible," Sayu said. "My big brother's raging hormones must've be confusing him when it came to his new girlfriend. _Hey Light, Demmy's here!_ "

" _Sayu!_ " Sachiko Yagami, Light's mother, said, suddenly coming out of the kitchen with a tea towel in her hand. "I heard what you just said. Don't embarrass Light like that. And don't shout like that. If you want to tell your brother something, then go up and tell him personally. The neighbours can hear you shouting."

The sound of a door opened from the second floor and Light came strolling down the stairs.

Sayu smiled. "Sorry Mom, but it worked," she said.

"Hi Light," Demmy said. "Came to return some lost property someone foolishly left behind at university."

Light rolled his eyes, but then smiled as he took his phone back. "Thanks Demmy, I can't believe I was so careless. Must've been my _raging hormones confusing me_ ," he said, eyeing Sayu.

Sayu laughed, and then left. Light's mother then left as well, leaving the two alone.

"Sometimes love makes you blind to certain realities, eh," Demmy said lightheartedly. "Takada is a catch, Light. You're so lucky. I'm glad you found someone. You were always a loner in grade school, and even in high school you studied all the time." He was careful not to mention Dana.

"I want to be police officer like my father, working hard is my forte."

"You're not going to settle with just catching criminals are you?"

Light Yagami seemed taken aback and his brow folded with confusion. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, with your mind you can do anything—be anyone. Being a simple police officer isn't for you. You'll be bored. I foresee you entering an Intelligence Bureau, where the real action is."

"Everyone has to start from the bottom and work their way up. Just because my father's Chief of the NPA, doesn't give me any special privileges, and I won't ask for any special favours."

"Yeah, right…sure you won't." Demetre chuckled.

Light smiled. "You've been a good friend, Demmy. You've always told me the truth and helped me when I needed support in dark times. Thanks."

"That's what friends do, Light." Demetre had the urge to ask Light if he knew any information about the Kira case, but quickly pushed it away. And besides, Light probably couldn't tell him. Any information he got was privileged information and therefore classified. He hadn't told Light about his grandfather yet, dying from a heart attack. He'd keep the secret for a little while longer.

Demetre suddenly heard a strange laughter coming from the street where Geist was hiding. He instinctively looked over his shoulder and saw the Shinigami's head crank up, looking towards Light's bedroom window/balcony. Geist then waved at something, or _someone_.

_What on earth are you doing, Geist? What are you seeing?_

And then it struck him, and his eyes widened with shock and also fear. That only he can _see_ …

_OH MY GOD!_

_No, this can't be! Not Light!_

_LIGHT YAGAMI IS KIRA? IS HE THE ORIGINAL KIRA OR THE SECOND KIRA?_

Demetre turned back to Light, and at that moment he wished he had the Shinigami Eyes to see if Light's lifespan was atop his head. Geist had told him those who make a deal with a Shinigami for half their remaining lifespan can identify others who have a Death Note.

Demetre's eyes were still widened, when Light asked, "Is something wrong, Demmy?"

Demetre quickly composed himself. "Um, no—things are just fine, Light." _Which one are you, Light? I know your secret now, but you don't know mine!_  
"Then please, come in," Light continued. "We haven't seen each other in a while despite going to To-Oh University. I see you around, but we don't chat anymore. Maybe a game of chess?"

Demetre mentally scowled. _You're nothing but fake, Light. A real detective can see right through you, I guess that's why L is on your case._ Another thought occurred to him. _That weird guy at university, the one with the sweatshirt and jeans — L! Now his sudden presence makes sense. L already suspected you? He's smarter than everyone takes him for._

Demetre put a hand up. "No, but thanks. I have some things to do. I only came by to return your phone. Take better care of it. You wouldn't want some unscrupulous person to steal all your personal information."

"That's why I have a friend like you watching my back. Good thing you found it, I have to be more mindful when it comes to being with Takada. I guess girls do make men stupid sometimes." Light laughed innocently.

"We all do stupid things," Demmy said. "I'll see you later." He gave a fake smile, and then started to walk away.

"Later," he heard Light say, and the door closed.

Demetre walked out of sight of Light's house and headed down an alcove. When he was well out of sight, he abruptly and loudly cursed, and then kicked an aluminum trash can that was in his way, sending it flying down his path.

This even surprised Geist and the Shinigami flinched from the sudden outburst.

"Demmy, settle down," Geist said. "Your best friend being Kira isn't all that bad!"

Demmy turned and glared at the Shinigami with fire in his eyes. "How! How is this _not bad_? Light Yagami murdered by grandfather! HE MURDERED MY GRANDFATHER!" He kicked another can nearby creating a massive ruckus and tossing trash everywhere. "I should kill him right now, murder him with the Death Note!"

Demetre knew that even a piece of the Death Note worked as the whole thing, so if a name was written on the smallest piece ripped from the pages the same fate would befall a victim. With a pen, he started to scribbled down in large capital letters on a scrap he had brought with him:

L I G H T Y A M A

But stopped before he finished writing down his best friend's name.

Demetre stared hard at the scrap, and recalled the Japanese Kanji characters that spelled Light's surname Yagami: "Night" and/or "God". Even "Moon" could be used.

A night god was known as a demon in Christian mythos—the very essence of darkness, evil.

Demetre recalled from his teachings that a "night god" flew around killing without mercy hidden in the shadows, never showing his face, a trickster demigod. With a name like that, it was almost pre-destined Light Yagami _would be_ handed such a powerful weapon like the Death Note.

_Kira kills without mercy! Light Yagami is Kira!_

Geist leaned over Demetre's shoulder at the paper scrap. "Aren't you going to finish writing down his name? You have him dead-to-rights in being Kira. Light Yagami is Kira!"

Demetre gave the Shinigami an admonishing sideways glance. "No, and _shut up_!" And he crumpled up the scrap of the Death Note and shoved it into his trousers pocket. He didn't _care_ that he just told a god of death to _shut up_ , a being who could kill him right here and now.

But Geist almost seemed amused, not angry.

"I'm being impetuous. Killing Light would only serve the moment, but he must pay." Demetre then turned to Geist. "Do you _know_ who killed my grandfather? Kira or the Second Kira?"

Geist thought for a moment. "Strangely enough, I don't know," the said. "But Light Yagami _is_ Kira. He is the _first_ Kira, with the Shinigami called Ryuk. And some ditzy blonde girl is the Second Kira—some TV actress, with another Shinigami named Rem."

And when Geist told Demetre her name, Demetre instantly recognized it. "That hot chick in the TV commercials and movies— _Misa Amane_?"

"Yup, she is also behind the recorded broadcast on Sakura TV the other day," Geist added.

"My god! I understand now. Light would never do anything so foolish!"

"They eventually join forces and combat L."

Demetre blinked confused. "How do you know this?"

"Because I've seen it happen," Geist said. He reached into a satchel on his hip and pulled out a small round orb, the size of his fist that sparkled like an oyster.

He passed it to Demetre and he held it in both hands, gazed with wonder into its abyss. "This is what we Shinigami call a _Hole_ , or a _Probable Orb_. Either one will suffice. Frankly, the first sounds profane, so call it a _Probable Orb_. It is a small device where the past, present and future can be seen. This is a portable version of it. I come from the future, many years from now. And I've watched what's known in the Shinigami Realm as the _Kira Incident_. I know _everything_ that is going to happen. Well, _almost_ everything. You are a new element to this story."

"A new element?" Demetre looked up at Geist. "You mean in the future you saw, I was never involved in the _Kira Incident_?"

Geist nodded. "I knew _who_ you were when I reviewed Light Yagami's life from birth to death, but you were never significant to the _Kira_ story until now." Geist pointed. " _You_ now own a Death Note, and I am eager to find out how the story will change."

Demetre mused for a moment, then smirked. "An intervention? Geist, let's talk. Give me all the highlights of what you know about the _Kira Incident_. Screw the rules! If you followed the rules, then you wouldn't have given me the Death Note Rulebook. Then I can decide what do next."

Geist recited the entire _Kira Incident_ for Demetre, the highlights, showing Demetre in the orb.

When the Shinigami finished, he said, "So, there you have it. From beginning to end. Even _Kira's Revolution,_ after Light Yagami dies, and Kira's fellowship one hundred years later that eventually bosoms into a full-blown religion."

Demetre tried to withhold a laugh, but couldn't. "So Light starts a new religion, that's rich!"

"Very much like your Jesus Christ of Nazareth," Geist remarked.

Demetre took offence to Geist's remark that Christianity was an accidental-faith. His Lord was completely separate from that of the birth of Kira's falsehood god-like status. He put a hand to his heart touching his crucifix that he always kept close to his heart and recited the First Commandment in his head: _Thou shalt have no other Gods but me._

"The Second Kira ignores civil liberties. I don't see Light doing this. There is a large difference between Light Yagami and Misa Amane. Even when we were kids playing board games, Light was always fair. He never cheated. He didn't need to. Light has strong morals. But he's no god!"

"Now that you know the truth, what will you do?"

Demetre smiled. "Why should you have all the fun? Just watch and enjoy."

Geist chuckled. "Humans are so interesting."

"We are indeed."

_To be continued..._


	8. Trickster - Part 1

As Demetre Draycott walked down the street and headed home with Geist hovering above, but behind him like a winged, demonic god, he thought in quiet contemplation on how he was going to strike back at Kira, whom he had now determined was his best friend Light Yagami.

_Kira/Light, you are a coward killing your victims from the sanctum of your home. You're despicable!_

He no longer thought of Light as a friend, but as a rival now.

He had viewed the "Kira Incident" as Geist called it from the _Portable Orb_ , a device that had the ability see space and time, past, present and future, and now he knew everything he would need to know to combat and dethrone Light Yagami from his mantle. And destroy the legacy of Kira.

" _Aureus_ for your thoughts, Demmy? As the old human saying goes," Geist said. _Aureus_ was what people in Ancient Rome called 'gold money' or a coin, the saying harkened back for many years. Demetre wondered if Geist was at least that old? "You've been quiet for a while, ever since you learned your friend was Kira. I didn't want to say anything or _future events_ until you made that discovery on your own. Why spoil my fun?" Geist chuckled.

Demetre gave Geist a displeasing sideways glance.

_Future events,_ Demetre repeated mentally. _Future events only where it concerns Light Yagami, Misa Amane, L, and later others. Nothing in that future has me in it. I'm insignificant in the Kira Incident. But all that is about to change, as I insert myself into the collective fold—and to possibly change those events—now that I have a Death Note._

Demetre stopped, looked up at the rock star looking Shinigami hovering with out-stretched, black wings above him. No one could see Geist but Demetre. He took a deep breath. No one was around them, so he spoke openly. "This changes things. Light _was_ my best friend, but now he's my _enemy!_ "

"He's only an enemy if you _chose_ him to be. He _could_ be an ally." Geist grinned. "You've already cloned his cell phone, and you planned on using it to listen in to track Kira. Now that you know your friend is Kira, you can still use him to your advantage. You can listen in on all Light Yagami's calls, personal and private. And read his texts."

Demetre nodded. "True, if only to gather information about the Kira investigation, and about L. I would like to know _who_ L really is myself. My gut instinct told me there was something _odd_ about that weird looking guy who gave the Freshman Speech at the Entrance Ceremony at To-Oh University with Light. That guy is L, and he tote the same name as some male movie actor: _Ryuga Hidiki_. It was to mask his own identity. Now I know why."

He then said, " _This note will not take effect unless the writer has the person's face in their mind when writing his/her name. Therefore, people sharing the same name will not be affected_. Is that correct, Geist?" Geist nodded, but looked confused. "L was smart to choose a well known personality, so if Light chose to write down _Ryuga Hidiki_ , then the image of the actor would most likely pop into his head and Light would kill the famous actor instead. Very smart. But, of course, I don't have the Shinigami Eyes, so I don't know for sure. Nor do I know L's real name."

"Louis Lawliet," Geist said straightly. "L's real name is Louis Lawliet. He was born in France, but grew up in England at an orphanage called Wammy's House. Wammy's House is a gated orphanage for wayward genius children. Others are ready to stand in L's stead when the time comes to succeed him."

"But we know which one does, and he finally slams the gravel down on Light."

"All that may change with you now in the fray," Geist said, nodding. "And I'm eager to find out how much fun you're going to show me."

Demetre nodded. "I almost lost my cool there and wrote down Light's name," he said. "I'm normally a very level-headed kind of guy, and I'm normally the one that calms Light down when he gets frustrated. Some times he has a short fuse when things don't go his way. He's always been like that since he was a kid. But he'd mellowed out a bit. I was two steps away from killing my best friend..." He sighed. "Yes, apart from what I said earlier, a part of me still considers him a friend, but nothing will be the same between us. But _he_ won't know that."

"Correction," Geist interjected, " _you_ and Kira."

Demetre narrowed his eyes with slight confusion. "Yes, that's what I just said."

"You humans have an uncanny fault of letting your emotions dictate your actions. Light Yagami doesn't know you have a Death Note or have a Shinigami ally unless his Shinigami tells him. But I highly doubt Ryuk will tell Light Yagami that he saw me. He's not a snitch. On the another note, Light Yagami and his _best friend_ —you, Demetre Draycott— _do not_ have issues. You are still best friends from childhood as far as _he_ knows."

Demetre nodded, understanding. "Agreed. I'll have to separate the two. Light has aligned himself with Ryuk, another Shinigami. But what's to stop his Shinigami from telling Light about me? If you've shirked Shinigami Law, what will stop Ryuk from doing the same?"

"Because it's Ryuk. And he enjoys amusement. And what he knows and Light Yagami doesn't will amuse him even more. This is the reason he came to the Human World—to be entertained."

"Because the Shinigami Realm is boring," Demetre said, nodding. "But I must make assurances Light doesn't kill me unexpectedly, and I'll use the secret Death Note Rulebook you gave me to do that very thing."

"What do you plan to do?"

Demetre turned into a near-by alleyway, made sure no one was watching him, and then began to write in the Death Note. Geist watched over Demetre's shoulder as he did so.

"Ah, _interesting!_ I was right about you! You're a very clever human, indeed. And it negates the _23 Day Rule_ and preludes the _Under 780 Day Rule_ , making you virtually safe from anyone else with a Death Note. It's one way to prevent death—without crossing a person's name out with two vertical lines, or using a Death Eraser to erase a person's name, for which I possess. _Your_ name is in the Death Note unharmed and yet active at the same time."

"Sometimes, Geist, it's not the fittest that survive. It's the smartest. The Death Note Rulebook you provided gave me some interesting ideas, and I know this will work for me."

Geist reflected. "But wait, I just gave you the rulebook a little while ago. You couldn't have concocted something like this without knowing every single rule in the book?"

"Amongst my other attributes, I'm also a speed-reader and have a photographic memory, so when I flipped through the rulebook earlier, I actually _read_ and _remember_ every single rule, and all the sub-sections, divisions, and categories. Including what rule negates other rules, and so on. The book also had tips and tricks for which I used to devise this plan to safeguard myself. Think of it as a ' _Lemniscate Rule_ ', so the Death Clock never runs down. This symbol forever loops. It's a mathematical principle that represents the concept of infinity."

"Like an Infinity Rule?" Geist said, and Demetre caught him about to say something further, but the Shinigami shut his mouth. "Very interesting; you're so smart, and you figured it out on your own."

"Figured what out?"

"Never mind," the Shinigami said, waving a hand. "And it's working. You lifespan is slowing to a crawl. But just so you know, the Death Clock will not _stop_ with this. It will slow it down in such a way that it appears to _stop_. I don't know your lowest time increment, but it's probably much lower than that. Time is not literal, as most human's think. It's abstract, and the past, present, and future, can all be accessed. But your race doesn't have the ability yet. That's how I'm here, and I used what your _sci-fi manga_ would call a 'hyperspace gateway' to emerge in the Human World. I'm impressed. You _are_ better than Kira in _so many ways_. Out of all of Light Yagami's friends, I definitely chose well."

"You _chose_ me?"

Geist nodded. "I had a few choices. Light Yagami has a lot of friends, so to speak. Unlike Light Yagami, who just happened to come across the Death Note—after I viewed the 'Kira Incident' in the Shinigami Realm—you seemed like a good choice to me. And I was right. That's why I dropped the Death Note in a place I know you would pick it up. You were an x-factor, I didn't know what you would do with it. But you've surprised me."

Demetre smiled. "I'm honoured," he said modestly. He had brought Light's cloned phone with him, a simple non-descriptive flip phone, and opened it. "Now, I believe it's time for the _fun_ to start. Let's _play_ with _Kira_ a little."

Geist laughed. "Finally the entertainment begins! You humans are _soooooooo_ interesting!"

* * *

Bryant Harvey was an American terrorist and mercenary for hire. He was guilty of bombing an American airline passenger plane within the United States and robbing countless national banks at home and aboard. He was on Interpol's, the FBI's, the CIA's, and other criminal databases around the world's Top Ten list. And yet with all his crimes, he was not associated with any known terrorist group. He was what was known as a Lone Wolf.

While impressive in its own rite, many on the internet were protesting why Kira had not killed him. Nearly fifty people had been killed in his reign of terrorism and chaos.

Well, that was about to change. _If_ Light could find a decent picture of the man, that is. The Death Note needed a person's face and his real name to kill. So far, Bryant Harvey—if that was his _real_ name, he always wore disguises—could not be concretely identified.

And for the omnipotent Kira, that was frustrating.

Every news media outlet in the world spelled his name correctly, no variations were ever recorded—but without a picture of the man's face, the Death Note would not work. If only Light had the Shinigami Eyes that he suspected this Second Kira had, he could look at any picture of Bryant Harvey and know his name and face immediately.

But he wasn't willing to trade Ryuk half his remaining lifespan just to kill one man. He planned on ruling his brand new world for a long time and needed his full life. He flat out refused even when the offer was presented to him in an option to kill L after the embarrassment Light suffered at the Entrance Ceremony at To-Oh University.

_I will not throw away my life for some worthless criminal!_

Ryuk was no help. He could easily kill Bryant Harvey with his Death Note. But then that would be helping Light, and Ryuk was unwilling to do that. Ryuk wanted to see if Light could do things on his own without any help from anyone.

_Very well, Ryuk. When I became Kira I knew it would be lonely at the top. A king always sits alone on his throne._

Light watched television in his room, the Death Note was open on his desk.

L had removed all the cameras and listening devices from his room, so there was no fear of being seen or heard.

L had done an auspicious thing, and planted surveillance equipment throughout the Yagami home in the hopes of catching Light doing something suspicious. But it didn't work and within two weeks they had all been moved. Ryuk had originally found them, he also confirmed their removal. At least Ryuk helped Light in _that_ respect.

It also gave privacy for Ryuk to eat his apples in Light's room. When Ryuk couldn't eat his apples, the Shinigami became obnoxious. Light was thankful that was over.

Recording television footage off TV, Light transferred it to over to his computer and analyzed it carefully, even using a police extrapolation program to remove any disguises of Bryant Harvey. But even with this, without a true face to envision in his mind, Light was out of luck to kill the man.

He wondered if L had noticed that the Almighty Kira couldn't kill this man? Like some sort of cruel trick.

News: " _…and Bryan Harvey continues his crime sprees around the world without any interference from Kira, surprisingly._ " The anchor was obviously reading from a teleprompter, his eyes moved from side-to-side. " _To date, the American terrorist Bryant Harvey has been unstoppable in every crime he has committed—and some have been wondering where is Kira? Are Kira and Bryant Harvey working together? If so, then this contradicts Kira's declaration of creating a better world by eliminating evil, and Kira's motives must come into question?_ "

He hoped the _Second Kira_ didn't kill this anchor for that last statement, he was only doing his job. And the anchor did raise a perfectly legitimate question, but one that Light knew was untrue.

Light scowled. Of course L would notice Kira's lapse to kill Harvey. And it made Light's face flush with anger. This only went to show that Kira _was_ infallible.  
Did L wonder, was Bryant Harvey being kept alive for some insidious purpose by Kira? Light didn't care what L thought. He wanted Bryant Harvey dead!

Internet chatter was fueling about rumour that Bryant Harvey may be Kira, and that's why he wouldn't or couldn't die. That Kira was beginning to use his powers for personal gain.

_This cannot stand! Not to Kira!_

His cell phone rang.

Light looked at it sitting on his desk next to his computer, but didn't immediately answer it. When it rang three times, he flipped it open, and viewed the caller.

It was from a blocked number. He never answered those calls, because they were either from solicitors or wrong numbers, and right now, he was not in the mood for either.

But it kept ringing.

"You gonna answer that?" Ryuk said, pointing at Light's cell. The clownish, gauntly, grotesque Shinigami sat on Light's bed, eating an apple. "If you'd like, I can smash it into tiny pieces." Ryuk snickered.

But Light detected a hint of _answer it or else_ in Ryuk's tone and answered it with annoyance before the Shinigami did exactly that. "That won't be necessary," he said with reluctance, and answered, " _What?_ " harshly.

There was silence for a moment, and Light thought to hang up. " _That isn't a polite way to answer the phone, buddy,_ " and a light chuckle followed.

Light recognized the voice. "Oh, Demmy, it's you…"

_To be continued..._


	9. Trickster - Part 2

Light's mood mellowed slightly. "Demmy?" he repeated his friend's name. "Weren't you _just_ here?"

" _Yeah,_ " Demetre said. " _But forgot to let you know, no_ Modern Law _class tomorrow. That windbag of a Prof posted on the university website, I got an alert._ "

Light smiled in spite of himself at the humorous remark about the Professor. Indeed, the Professor was just that when he lectured. Half the class today were yawning and falling asleep in their chairs.

"Thanks for the update. I haven't checked the website yet today."

" _You sound a little flustered, Light. What's up?_ "

Light sighed, he wish he could tell Demmy about the Death Note and procure some advise about what to do about L and the _Second Kira_. But that was out of the question. And that was the problem with _being Kira_ , he had no one to talk to, to formulate ideas with, or discuss theories—he was alone in his plight to change the world. It was indeed lonely at the top. The Second Kira was an idiot, and the moment Light identified him, he'd kill him—he didn't want Kira's World filled with a moron who would murder people just because they had a different point of view.

Demmy was a close confidante. He knew he could discuss anything with him, and he had on occasion. Well, almost anything—except the Death Note.

"Sorry Demmy, now's not a good time."

" _Come on, Light. We're friends. If you have a problem, you can tell me. Trust me._ "

Light hesitated. "Sorry, uh, family issues," he lied.

" _Your father's been cracking the whip, hasn't he? Well, I've noticed you've skipped some of your classes lately. It almost seems like you had something important on your mind._ "

_That's Demmy_ , Light thought, _perceptive as always_.

" _Skipping classes? You think you're too smart for the rest of us?_ " A humorous snort followed.

Light actually chuckled. "Been very busy, that's all," Light said. "And I'm more than a little embarrassed in leaving my cell at the university today. That was stupid of me."

" _I have a hunch that that's not all, and I'm not talking about Takada_ ," Demetre said. There was a short pause. " _And it's not hard to figure out, Light—your fingerprints are all over the Kira case. That message sent to Kira…Well, to those who truly know you; you're working with L, right? The NPA is working with L, and your father asked you to help, seeing how you helped with other NPA cases in the past._ "

Light's eyes widened, and he looked at Ryuk with shock. Ryuk chuckled. Light wagered Ryuk could hear every word being said. He wasn't on speaker phone, but Ryuk had sensitive hearing.

"How on earth did your friend guess that? He's good!" Ryuk said.

Silence followed, Light shook his head.

" _What's wrong, Light? Isn't this your big break? Solve this, and you'll be sure to make detective one day with a recommendation from the great L. What better accolade is there than that? But everything always comes easy to you. You've so lucky!_ "

Light mused quickly. _Not easy, but my way of thinking comes natural to me like a second sight. And I wager the same with you, Demmy. You're my best friend, but you've also been my greatest rival, and you're a strategist like me— especially in games like chess. We always have the best of matches._

A few seconds passed as Light mused further.

But then he realized, why wouldn't Demmy guess that he was working on the Kira case? His father was the Chief of the NPA, and L being in Japan—it was a joint-operation, which was precisely that between L and members of the NPA. And Light had helped the NPA in other cases before as an outside consultant with commendations to prove it.

His mind eased.

" _Um, Light? Are you still there? Earth to Light?_ " Demmy's voice sounded.

"Seems like it sometimes, doesn't it?" Light replied. "You've always been my closest friend, and even rival, Demmy—especially at chess."

" _I'll take that as a complement. I wouldn't want to be left behind while you gallivant toward the sunset on a white stallion alone._ "

Light knew that was a metaphor. And he knew as each of them branched out into the world and into their own respected careers that they may lose touch with each other. However, with the Death Note, that was an almost certainty now. Light had to move on and away from his friends if his plan with the Death Note was to succeed.

Something suddenly occurred to him. "Demmy—why is your number blocked? You're on my friend's list, home and cell. Where are you calling from?" Light had a tracker program on his computer, and he could always find the location of where someone was calling from when he entered the number, even blocked numbers, if he activated it.

There was a short pause. " _Well, when I rescued your phone from university, mine had an accident—it dropped, and fell into the sewer on my way home. I bought a new one before I brought your phone back; new number, too._ "

Light laughed out loud. "Thanks, Demmy. I needed that laugh!"

" _Glad my misfortune can be your laughing block._ "

"Sorry…" Light continued to snicker. "I see, so of course it would be naturally blocked, or unknown." Light got a piece of paper and a pen. "So what's the new number? I'll add it to my friend's list."

Demmy told him, and Light wrote it down. It was a local number.

" _So, what's new in the Kira case?_ " Demmy asked.

"Classified, Demmy. You should know better than to ask that."

" _Yeah, but it was worth a shot anyway. Interesting this Kira Case, huh? All the victims dying by heart attack and no-one knows how, kind of makes it supernatural in nature. Like Kira is some sort of poltergeist who stalks his victims, choosing the scum of society to prey on as if he has some vendetta against crime, or the very ideal of it. I find it weird that L would challenge Kira like that on live TV. And now a Second Kira appears, very interesting._ "

Light swallowed nervous. How the hell was Demmy guessing all this so correctly?

" _Very_ perceptive of you," Light said carefully. No, it couldn't be. Was Demmy the Second Kira? _No_ , Light decided, _he wouldn't be stupid to announce himself on live TV_. "Do you have any other observations? How closely have you been following the Kira Case?"

An unconscious droplet of sweat ran down the side of Light's face. He normally didn't get nervous like this, but knowing Demmy, and _being Kira_ , it almost felt like he was speaking with L himself. Demmy was on the same level as he and L. But he didn't know about the Death Note, so there was no reason to be nervous.

Demmy laughed. " _Why? Are you recruiting me?_ "

"No, but you and I think on the same wavelength, and I was just wondering what your take on the Kira Case is, from an outsiders point of view?

" _So…you are working with your father on the Kira Case. Awesome! Don't worry, I won't tell. Anyway, from an outsiders perspective, I would have to conclude Kira is dangerous. He thinks of himself as a god with a righteous cause. However, he's lost his way…_ "

"Kira has _lost his way_? What do you mean by that? And what did you mean earlier about a _Second Kira?_ You think there may be someone else out there with Kira's power?"

Another short pause. " _Didn't you not consider this after that last TV broadcast? It was not Kira's normal M.O.? And you're the one that wants to be a detective?_ "  
Now Light paused. He looked to Ryuk.

"He's good," the Shinigami said, and chuckled. "Smart and savvy. He got you to reveal classified information."

Ryuk was right. It was known as "fishing for information". But was it purely for personal interest or something else? He wouldn't be tricked.

_Why do I feel something is wrong here?_ Light thought _.  
_

" _You know, if I'd have to profile him, I would say Kira is egomaniacal and a sociopath. But not a psychopath—not yet, anyhow—he hasn't reached that providence yet. If he continues unabated, then he will become one. He doesn't necessarily have a personal vendetta against criminals, per se, now that I think about it, but he wants an orderly world. This world is a powder-keg ready to explode and Kira doesn't want that to happen, so he's re-ordering the world in his image. He sees the world as a rotten place, and through whatever means at his disposal, he's using fear tactics to bring humanity's 'way of thinking' to his side. Kira has a logical, orderly mind. But, he also has a child-like sense of justice…_ "

Ryuk couldn't stop laughing, hearing everything that was said. Light sneered at the Shinigami. His laughter was so loud—although only Light could hear it—he was having a difficult time listening to Demmy.

But he couldn't believe Demmy had Kira dead-to-rights. Demmy had profiled Kira excellently. All except the "child-like sense of justice", that was L's phrasing of it. But if Demmy had the same thought, maybe it was time to re-think his target patterns.

"Some people are like that," Light said. He had to be very careful here. "With great power comes great responsibility, to quote someone else. But I think you're right. Kira is egomaniacal from a certain perspective."

" _The good thing about you, Light, is you're nothing like Kira._ "

If Shinigami could cry tears of laughter, this was as closest to Ryuk got. His boisterous laughter echoed through Light's room and it was enough for Light to clamp a hand around his exposed ear.

Light mentally gasped. _This isn't impossible! I don't believe Demmy is the Second Kira, but all evidence points to the contrary, and Demmy hates Kira—his tone of voice says it all! But I have to confirm it._

"So, what are your feelings about Kira?" Light now fished for information. "Do you think he's doing a good job?"

" _My feelings about Kira? What is this, an interrogation?_ " Demmy laughed. " _I'm not a staunch support of Kira, if that's what you're asking—Detective Yagami._ " Light rolled his eyes. " _I know there are quite a few support groups on the internet for Kira, but I'm not a part of any._ "

_That's not what I asked you,_ Light said mentally.

"But you do have an issue with Kira, right? You don't like him, right?"

" _I never said that, Light._ " Demmy's voice turned firm. " _I have a problem with his methods! For example, say someone was accused of a crime he didn't commit and his innocence wasn't yet proven in a court of law. But he never had his day in court because he died. Say, he died suddenly, like by a heart attack—the media plastering his face and name all over television for the whole world to see—and someone saw. And say, only after this person's death, did the real culprit surface and admit to the crime, but now the prior person, who was actually innocent, paid the price, dying for a crime he never committed, while the real criminal is still alive…Get what I'm saying?_ "

Light's eyes widened, Ryuk stopped laughing.

Light had killed a man like that—an embezzler, who turned out to be innocent. Light had killed the man in the Death Note's usual, methodical manner. But he killed the man to out fox L while he was being watched in his room with cameras. He normally researched his prey before killing them just in case of things like this. Even Light considered the man's death regrettable after he learned the real details. But why did Demmy have a beef with Kira for _that_?

Light frowned. _Kira isn't heartless. I'll always have this man's death on my conscious, I made an error. I can't bring him back to life. But just to be fair to the innocent man, I'll kill the other man soon._

There was several moments of silence. Light didn't know how to respond, and he was careful not to do so. Demmy would just have to get over his feelings of the man's death.

" _I wonder what L's like?_ " Demmy then said, changing the conversion. " _A lot like Kira, I suppose? But more conceded, I would imagine. No-one's ever seen him—except you, of course._ " Light said nothing. " _Anyway, good luck with the Kira case, talk with you later, Light._ "

"Thanks for the talk. Chat with you later, Demmy. Bye."

The call ended. But even after Light closed his flip phone, he hung onto it a bit longer, thinking.

He leaned back in his desk chair and his mind raced with a frightening thought. Light looked to Ryuk, and asked, "Ryuk, if another Shinigami was in the Human World, would you tell me?"

"Nope, why would I ruin my fun?" the Shinigami responded with a chuckle. "I've never met this Demmy friend of yours, although I did see him when I peaked through your bedroom wall and down the stairs when he brought back your phone. Interesting guy, and smart, too."

"I don't like how that conversion went," Light reflected.

"Cheep up, Light. I think things are about to get more interesting."

Light eyed Ryuk. "And why do you say that?"

"This Second Kira, I think he's going to add a new mix into the fold."

"He's an idiot for what he did, sending that tape to Sakura TV. If he wanted to contact me, he could've done so in a more subtle manner." Light's eyes darted from side to side. "Maybe, he did!"

And he logged into _Kira Underground_ on his computer using a service jumper to mask the log-on. But when he tried to find the thread titled: _A Message To Kira_ , with the Haiku, it had been deleted.

He leaned back in his chair again, he could remember the Haiku clearly. He remembered thinking it was amateurish at the time, but perhaps it was subterfuge—and the _Second Kira_ was much more intelligent than he originally surmised. Now that he recalled the Haiku, in an abstract sense, it was a brilliant piece of poetry—both its symmetry in imaginary and juxtaposition of word play.

"I see the wheels in your head turning, Light," Ryuk said metaphorically. "You're thinking hard. Problem?"

Light retrieved the Death Note from its hiding place in his desk drawer, then opened a page. He took out a foundation pen from a jar and then poised the tip over the page. But stopped short from writing.

"Whose name were you about to write?"

"It would be a mistake," Light reflected to himself.

He closed the Death Note. He had had enough killing for one day. Something about it made him sick to his stomach all of a sudden. And the reminder of the innocent man he had killed in a futile ploy to trick L while he was being watched in his room during the two weeks under home surveillance gave him pause for thought, and regret.

Was Demmy right? Had Kira "lost his way" in the countless deaths of so many criminals/people in such a short span? Was he becoming a servant to the Death Note, it becoming _his_ master? Was there another him, a second personality, driving him to use the Death Note?

"I must be feeling paranoid with L breathing down my neck, and now the sudden appearance by the _Second Kira_ ," he said to himself. "And now that call from Demmy. I think I need to take a break."

"They say people who talk to themselves and who hear voices in their head are psychotic," Ryuk said, chuckling.

Light turned to Ryuk. " _I'm not psychotic_ ," he replied. "I'm being careful, analyzing the situation, and taking further steps. It's best to continue to re-access a situation and plan accordingly. Never settle on a plan."

"Coulda fooled me. _Hyuk-hyuk-hyuk_. Well, you are the only one who can see and hear me."

"That's different, you are real. Despite _me_ only being able to see and hear you…" He stopped and thought for a moment. _Me being the only one who could see and hear a supernatural being from another realm?_ He sounded like a lunatic. "Oh, shut up!"

And Ryuk laughed heartedly.

_To be continued..._


	10. Cloak And Dagger

Demetre Draycott kept a watchful eye on Light Yagami.

He sat at a small table in an outside patio of a small café, as he watched Light and a group of university students, some of which Demetre knew, walked down the street. It had been a couple of weeks since the Second Kira had emerged, and it was obvious Light was getting nervous.

Geist had followed Light and discovered The Kira Task Force's clandestine meeting places in hotel rooms all around the city—their de facto headquarters, per se—and discovered Misa Amane, the Second Kira, was sending clues to Sakura TV in the form of more videos and a diary journal.

Light, at this point, officially joined the task force to help L, or rather himself, to find the Second Kira. He didn't know it was Misa Amane yet. But Demetre knew, Geist has both told and shown him in the Portable Orb. This entire affair with Kira was know as _The Kira Incident_ , according to the Shinigami.

It was The Kira Task Force's decision to visit the spots indicated in a dairy the Second Kira sent to a news station, one of them was here: Aoyama, a neighbourhood of Tokyo, located in the northeastern Minato Ward. At one point in history, during the Edo Period, Aoyama was home to various temples, shrines and several samurai residences. But now in the technological age, Aoyama is just another town for normal working people.

However, what was truly interesting to Demetre was Misa's symbolic nature of the location. _The Note Blue Jazz Club_ was just down the street. Note Blue—Death Note. While seemingly brilliant in its wordplay, it still fell prey to Misa Amane's professional interests in being a singer and movie actress, which, if Light knew who the Second Kira was, would raise a red flag.

Geist hadn't found Rem or Misa Amane yet, they were most likely hiding in one of the shops or cafes in the area. Demetre knew she was here, for this is where Misa will learn Kira's identity. And the next day, a tape will be sent to Sakura TV, thanking Kira, no longer looking for him—according to the history he saw in the Portable Orb.

Next to him was a tall line of shrubs that lined the café's iron fence property line, so he was perfectly hidden to watch Light. Here he followed Light Yagami's movements with a pair of binoculars, as Light strolled down across the street with the others, students from their political science class. He recognized some of them, some he didn't. Especially one young, looking man. He seemed a bit too chummy with Light, in fact.

Demetre smirked. It was probably a member of The Kira Task Force trying to blend in, incognito.

With Geist's help, there wasn't anywhere Light couldn't go without Demetre knowing.

"Very good, things are going exactly as foreseen," Demetre said secretly to Geist. Geist hunkered down below the scrub line so Ryuk, Light's Shinigami, wouldn't see him. Ryuk had flown around the area in a quick scout to see if he could see any other Shinigami around, on the hunt for the Second Kira. But obviously, he hadn't seen Geist. "Light's right where you'd say he'd be today. And once again, thank you for the Portable Orb. Now I'll know exactly where Light is at any given time."

Geist said, "Light Yagami doesn't know you have a Death Note. Ryuk knows we are bonded, but he will not tell Kira."

Demetre nodded, looking through the binoculars. "Light looks like a lost puppy dog looking for his owner," he said.

"Hunting for Misa Amane," Geist said, "or that's what the diary pages said in L's hotel room when I followed Light Yagami the other day. But if we already know what will happen, why are we here? What purpose will it serve for you witness these mundane events? You won't be able to change them."

"I don't wish to change events," Demetre said back. "I only want to watch things unfold, the Portable Orb is vague on the exact details of Kira's discovery at this point." He swivelled the binoculars around, but then found her. She was sitting in a small, indiscriminate cafe across the street, he could see her through the window. "Ah, found you…"

He couldn't see Rem, Misa Amane's Shinigami, but he could never forget a beautiful face like hers. Although, at the moment, she was wearing a short-cropped black wig and donned a young school girl's uniform, with skirt and glasses.

"I am a big fan of her movies," he said to Geist. "But I may look at her differently for now on."

"You made me watch one of Amane's movies the other night, how boring! And all that rhetoric talk about love and relationships made me sick!" Geist made a noise of disgust.

"Without all the _rhetoric_ , Geist, the human race would've died out long ago."

Misa Amane began to get up from her seat.

Demetre said, "She's leaving. She knows about Light now. That was quick. Amane probably looked for Light's lifespan and saw it missing. Someone who owns a Death Note doesn't show a lifespan atop their head. When Misa and Light decide to join forces, their recklessness could destroy the very fabric and stability of both our worlds. The Portable Orb shows the _Kira Revolution_ years after Kira's death. It's a quiet time, some say. But it could eventually explode into an all out religious war on my world."

"So, what are you going to do about it?" Geist wondered, eagerly.

"We still have years before anything significant happens, so for now, I'll merely observe," he said. Without the need to watch Light any longer, Demmy lowered the binoculars and then decided to leave—when suddenly a strong hand clasped his shoulder, startling him from behind.

Demetre jumped, fumbled with the binoculars. But they eventually fell, crashing to the ground. He heard a small clink of broken glass, probably one of the lens.

"What the hell…" He turned, and gasped. "Dad? What are you doing here?"

William Draycott smiled coyly. He was a tall, handsome man with dark hair wearing a navy business suit and tie. Behind him, Demetre could see, were four other men in suits. "I was about to ask you that very same question, son," he inquired. "I just stopped here for lunch with a few of my firm partners, my office is just down the street, as you know."

Demetre was so focused on Light's activities today, he had forgotten that his father's investment firm was down the street in one of the tall buildings. But he never thought his father would come here to have lunch and of all days. But it was a popular tea house and cafe.

"I thought there was a cafe on the ground floor of your office building?" Demetre said.

"There is, but we decided to step out of the office for a little while," his father said. Then gave Demetre a curious stare. "You, on the other hand, should be in class. You're a smart kid, Demetre, but if you continue to skip classes like you have lately—and don't you tell me otherwise, I know, I'm your father, I know things—you're never going to join me at the firm. I want you have a secure future in these tough economic times."

Demetre looked downcast, guilty. He had been skipping classes. Although his grades hadn't been affected, his attendance had, however. And lying to his father was like lying to a priest in church.

"Sorry Dad," he said.

His father affirmed to his firm partners that he would be with them in a minute, that he had to speak with his son for a moment. The group of four men sat down at one of the larger patio tables. A waiter then attended the table.

"So, then," his father continued, "why are you here at this cafe of all places?" He reached down and picked up what Demmy had dropped. "And with a pair of binoculars, no less?"

Demetre observed his father examining the damaged binoculars, then William Draycott looked through them across the street. "Who, or what, were you looking at?" he asked.

Demetre's mind raced for an excuse. It was a delicate question, and he knew his father would see through a bold face lie. He was a lawyer after all and knew when someone was lying, especially if they knew the telltale signs.

Demetre didn't want to lie to his father, but he knew he couldn't tell him the truth either.

His father turned and stared at him for an answer. It had been several moments since he'd asked the question. Demetre's heart thumped for the best answer.

Finally Demetre just blurted out, "Spying."

"Spying?"

Demetre nodded. "I was spying on a girl," he said truthfully.

"From afar? There's a term for that, son—it's called stalking and it is illegal. Who is she?"

Demetre swallowed. "Misa Misa, you know, the movie actress. I heard she would be in the area scouting for a new acting role…" It wasn't a lie, but it was an exaggerated truth. "And I…"

William smiled, then laughed. He clamped a hand on Demetre's shoulder. "My son has a crush on a movie star? How cliche, but funny as hell!"

Demetre sighed. _How embarrassing…_

"She's dumb as a brick, you know that, right? Looks are one thing, but you can do a lot better," he said. "I seem to remember you had a secret crush on Light Yagami's old girlfriend in high school. Now she was beautiful and smart. What was her name?"

Demetre stuttered, trying to respond. But nothing he said seemed decipherable. Light never knew of his secret crush on Dana.

"Dana Chika," he said. "But she left, and I moved on." _Mostly…_

William looked through the binoculars surveying the surrounding area, as if trying to find Misa Amane. "So you set your sights on some blonde air head now? So, where is she? I don't see her or her entourage. She's a movie star, so she should have her own body guards." Suddenly, his father stopped his rotation. "Isn't that your friend Light Yagami over there? We haven't seen him around lately. I was said to learn your sabbaticals ended a couple of years ago. Good man, the Chief of police, Soichiro Yagami. I think those camping trips were good for you kids."

Demetre silently said a thank-you for the distraction. "Yes, he is. And I was disappointed too, but we've matured Dad. I knew they would come to an end eventually. But they still have their family cabin."

His father lowered the binoculars. "Come have lunch with us, Demetre, and I'll introduce you to some of my partners," he said.

"Sure Dad," Demmy agreed. Besides, he was done with what he needed to do today. Now that Misa Amane knew who Kira really was, it will be easier to manipulate the both of them.

Demmy was given the binoculars back. "Oh, by the way, if you do have a crush on this Misa Misa girl, don't do anything stupid that could potentially ruin a political future down the road. A girl like that could ruin your entire life, and interfere in affairs that could cost you everything. And no more spying, okay?"

Demetre nodded. "Right, no more unnecessaries."

His father put an arm around Demetre's shoulder and then introduced him to his partners. They sat down at the patio table and ordered, and for the next hour spoke about the news of the day, and Demetre's potential aspirations in law.

His father was so proud.

_After I get Kira!_

_To be continued..._


	11. Geist's Future Plans

_It has been an interesting couple of days_ , Ryuk mused.

A day after Light went to Aoyama, a neighbourhood of Tokyo, downtown someplace, the _Second Kira_ had suddenly sent a new tape to Sakura TV stating Kira will no longer being sought after, and that the _Second Kira_ had found Kira.

_The look on your face when the Second Kira announced that you had been found out was priceless, Light!_

Light Yagami had been absolutely confounded as to how it had happened, but it didn't take long for Ryuk to learn the truth.

With information provided by another Shinigami in the Human World, the same one Ryuk had seen with Light's friend Demetre Draycott when he went to Light's home to return his phone—he found it ironic how these two both had Death Note's—Ryuk now knew who the _Second Kira_ was, and the Shinigami with _her_ —Rem.

Misa Amane, the famous movie actress, was the _Second Kira_.

_But I'm not going to tell Light. Why spoil my fun?_

Ryuk had been conversing with _Geist_ for over a week now about current events. Geist mentioned to him how he came to the Human World, and it was for the same reason as Ryuk. Although, he suspected there was more to it. But, he didn't care. As long as Geist didn't spoil any of his fun with Light Yagami, he was fine with it.

Light's suspicion of being Kira now doubled in L's mind and this amused Ryuk.

Things had been said at meetings with The Kira Task Force, Light included, that concluded that the only way the _Second Kira_ could have found Kira was in Aoyama, and Light was there. Light didn't panic, however. He actually relished the suspicion on him, but proclaimed L had nothing. So, Light let L suspect him as being Kira. It seemed amusing to him.

Carelessly, the _Second Kira_ let it slip that both Kira's should show their notebooks to the other, with their Shinigami—gods of death. L had fallen frightened out of his chair when he heard this part. And Light's eyes grew as wide as two full moons. Ryuk could only imagine what Light was thinking, mentally cursing. But it was intended to be a secret message for that only Kira would understand.

But Light still cursed about it when he got home that evening, after adding his input with the rest of The Kira Task Force, for which he was now apart of. Light had been asked by L personally, not because of his insight, but for the reaction-value when L triggered things on him about Kira. This provided Ryuk for far more entertainment that he was expecting.

When Light got home, he said he wanted the _Second Kira_ dead, and demanded Ryuk find the Second Kira at all cost. Well, he hadn't found the "second" Shinigami, but he did begin talking with the "third". And as soon as Light finally fell asleep after venting and fuming about the Second Kira, Ryuk slipped away to contact Geist. It hadn't taken him long to find him, knowing Demetre Draycott's address. But for convert purposes, Geist wanted to met Ryuk someplace more secluded form their Death Note owners.

Despite being well past the midnight hour, Tokyo's downtown core was still a maelstrom of hustle, with people partying, dining, gambling, or doing other pleasurable things its people found enjoyable. Night clubs were a big thing, and at the Note Blue Jazz Club, there was a line of people wanting inside for its musical, eclectic entertainment.

Ryuk never liked music. And he wondered why humans enjoyed listening to it. He found the video games Light played were much more entertaining, although there was background music in them, too. RPG games were a wow experience! The visual stimulation was astounding with some of its heavy-metal music.

Ryuk never took Light as a heavy-metal music type of guy. Classical music suited Light better. It was more refined, and Light Yagami certainly held himself properly in both mannerism and dress. He tried to look and act the part of a rich person.

There were aspects of Light's personality Ryuk disliked. Light was a borderline psychopath, but this didn't concern Ryuk. Neither was he going to tell Light what he was doing with the Death Note was right or wrong. However, Ryuk did feel the whole _Kira thing_ was a bit much. While entertaining, all those humans dying served nothing for Ryuk. It didn't increase his lifespan. Neither did it served his fellow Shinigami.

The day Ryuk first met Light and Light explained to him everything he intended to accomplish with the Death Note, it all sounded interesting. He wanted to make the Human World inhabited only by people he decided were worthy, good, and honest.

Ryuk had replied, "You do something like that, and the only one left with a bad personality will be you…"

Recalling, Light looked over his shoulder dumbfounded at the response. But then he explained, believing his plight was righteous, wholeheartedly, that he was the perfect person for the job. To straighten out the Human World, and to eliminate the rottenness that infested it, Light said he needed do what was best for society as a whole.

Light murdered so many people with the Death Note, filling up several pages in only five days. Ryuk didn't know much about the human mind, but he knew something was not quite right about Light Yagami. No good person would kill so many of his fellow race without a truly deep, psychological reason.

_Did something happen in his past to incite such a cause?_

Or maybe being _bored_ was as simple reason as any for a smart, arrogant teenager?

But Ryuk had been bored too, and that's why he dropped his Death Note into the Human World to see what happened. And he hadn't been disappointed. Light Yagami was an excellent choice to give him all the entertainment and fun he ever wanted.

_Now it was time to have even more fun,_ he thought.

He landed on the roof of a building sitting adjacent to the _Blue Note Jazz Club_ and waited. There was a human saying that music soothes a savage beast, but some people's taste in music was overrated, Ryuk thought. He didn't like this jazz music, it sounded more like people choking squealing mice.

He and Light once had a conversion about music and about past and present music artisans.

Light had said, "All the great people are dead and all the idiots are still alive." Whether Light meant to include himself in that statement, Ryuk didn't know, and he didn't bother to care to ask. But from what he saw of the Human World, he understood why Light thought that way. He figured Light meant the comment in a broad perspective of the Human World and not about music.

War, famine, pestilence, and death—these were the four most assured demises of the Human World. They were also the _Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse_ in the Christian Bible. It was strange how so many people fought over the smallest things, the bigger picture of their brethren missed. And if the Human World was not careful, their world will end up like the Shinigami Realm had—now laying decayed and rotten, without any hope of recovery!

Geist must have been a relatively new Shinigami, for Ryuk had never heard of him before.

Justin, the jewelled Shinigami, normally announced all graduating Shinigami from their one thousand year training regime. One thousand years was a long time, but it was to make sure every Shinigami was familiar with the rulebook— _both_ rulebooks, one for humans and a completely separate rulebook for Shinigami. Some things humans could not know or do, while Shinigami could, about the Death Note—it all depended on their powers. Not all Shinigami were equal, and some were vastly more powerful then some of a lower rank. But with each passing millennia, experience determined a graduating level.

And if Geist was much of a rouge as Ryuk was, things could get troublesome. He also had to worry about Rem, and what sort of Shinigami he/she/it was. The only thing Ryuk was troubled by was if these other Shinigami were going to ruin his fun here. He thought he would be the only Shinigami in the Human World, now there were three. As far as he knew. Maybe more?

Ryuk heard a thump from behind him and turned to see Geist landing—his wings retracting into his back. He approached Ryuk casually on the rooftop. Geist hadn't brought his bone club this time, most likely leaving it at Demetre Draycott's home. It wasn't needed. Geist had a funny look to him, Ryuk thought. But he bet Geist thought the same about him.

"Hey Ryuk, long time no see," Geist said, chuckling.

" _Hyuk hyuk_ , we just saw each other last night," Ryuk said. "So why these clandestine meetings?"

Geist appeared to smile. "What else is there to do while our humans sleep? Humans spend one-third of their lives sleeping, we Shinigami don't sleep half that much."

"My human tosses and turns at night, Light Yagami gets restless most nights," Ryuk said. "But some times, he has some of the strangest dreams. He once dreamt about an old girlfriend, which got him excited."

"Probably because he feels he's close to being caught, and as for the other, he's a teenager, that happens often—according to my human," Geist replied. "And with Misa Amane masquerading as the _Second Kira_ , Light Yagami has some serious troubles. She knows about him, but he's clueless of her. And Demmy, my human, knows everything about both of them after I showed him everything of future events in the _Portable Orb_." Geist smiled. "Some famous human once said: 'We often fear the unknown, but knowledge is our best defence'. Kira is now the one in the dark now."

"What _did_ you see in the _Hole_ , Geist? Do things work out for Light in the end?"

Geist smirked. "Things are different now, Ryuk. Time isn't linear, you know that. The past, under certain circumstances, can be changed, and we Shinigami have this ability. I'm from the future. I did my training, and then saw what happened in the _Kira Incident_ , and came to have some fun of my own. Training for one-thousand years gets tiresome."

"But what do you know that I don't?" Ryuk demanded. "That's not fair!"

Geist gave him some information. And with the introduction of Light's friend now owning a Death Note, Geist's time travelling had already changed future events. Geist knew Light Yagami's success and failure in his plight for the perfect world under Kira's rule. But next to that, Geist gave out no more pertinent information.

And it irked Ryuk. Geist _did_ say the timeline had been changed, so now they'd both have _fun!_

Geist then said, "I have to ask you Ryuk, what are your true thoughts about what Light Yagami is doing with the Death Note? Do you think his plight is righteous?"

"I'm a god of death, Geist. I have no moral bias when it comes to being entertained."

Geist nodded. "So, murdering other humans is okay then? Don't you not think people deserve a second chance to repent?"

Ryuk tilted his head. "Huh? What are you on about, Geist? Why do you care? Light Yagami says he is killing people who have committed crimes against humanity. He feels all crime needs to be wiped off the face of the planet to save it, and acting as _Kira_ —that ironically means 'Killer'—he _believes_ he can change the minds of the masses to make the Human World a safer."

"A noble cause in its rite, but do you believe controlling the world through fear is righteous?"

"By Light's own words, he is justice." Ryuk eyed Geist for a moment, and took a step back. "Are you one of _them_? A member of the _Shinigami Rebellion_? Shinigami who believe a change is needed to save the Shinigami? I've heard about you, the _Old Man_ wants to wipe you all out for your outspokenness, calling you guys rebels against his authority. I can be punished for even speaking with you! I can't do anything about you being here, but I want nothing to do with you."

Ryuk sprouted his wings from his back, but Geist held up a hand. "Ryuk… _Wait!_ Don't go!"

Ryuk paused, said, "Why should it? _Are_ you a member of the Shinigami Rebellion?"

Geist sighed. "My mentor was, and he tutored me on everything he knew, then he was taken away. I don't know where the Shinigami King took him. But I wager he's probably dead. I don't necessarily sympathize with the rebellion, Ryuk, but yes, I do believe a change in our realm is desperately needed to save it. And that's why I'm here. After the _Kira Incident_ , the Old Man turned our entire realm into a lockdown, totalitarian regime, and it's all because of you, Ryuk."

Geist pointed. "Everything Light Yagami did forced the Shinigami King to rethink our role and whoever disobeyed him was severely punished, even at the point of elimination. Your actions here became a symbol of disobedience. Rumblings of the rebellion hovered before, but you brought the wraith of the Old Man upon everyone in your selfish need to be entertained!"

"So what do you want me to do about it? I'm chained to Light Yagami at the moment. He has the Death Note, and you know the law about that. I must stay with him until the Death Note is finished—which, ironically, has endless pages no matter how many names are written in it—or he dies, whichever comes first, and I won't kill him. I'm having too much fun. If I kill Light Yagami, that will be like killing him for your human. If I kill a human to help another human, I'll die, and you know this. And if you kill Light, you'll die for helping Demetre Draycott. You know the rules and their restrictions."

Geist grit his teeth in annoyance, and cursed.

"So we're stuck," Ryuk said, "and, me, telling Light Yagami everything won't do any good. So, I don't. He won't stop what he'd doing to make his world a better place no matter what, and quite frankly, I find what he's doing interesting. He surprises me for a human. Most humans go about their mundane lives with nothing to show for it; Light is changing the world. It's fascinating."

"What if we explain things to _him_ and _make him_ understand? If we can bring Light Yagami back to reality, and also remove the _Second Kira_ —Misa Amane—from the picture altogether before things begin to become irreversible, then we may be able to bring this chaos to an end."

"You forget, if you know Light Yagami as much as I know him, he's self-absorbed. And people like him won't stop for anything. They don't care about anyone but themselves. And he won't stop until he's done."

Geist snorted. "What if I threaten his family? _Then_ he'll stop!"

"Light will kill Demetre in a heartbeat."

"He can't, Demetre has already written his name in the Death Note."

"He _what_? But then he'll die!"

"No, he won't. Demetre is quite clever. He thoroughly read the rulebook, both the one for Humans and the one for Shinigami, and found a way to stay protected from the Death Note. He figured out a way to protect himself from harm. His name is active in the Death Note, but he can't be killed by it."

"How the hell did he do that? Not even I know about that trick?"

"I read his entry, it was brilliantly written." Geist put a crooked finger to his chin to reflect. "If I recall, it went something like this: _For he who is born Under the 780 Day Rule and he who lives for within the 23 Day Rule, in consecutive fashion, hence protect the name and image thereof—Demetre Draycott—from harm within these pages in the time stated, repeatedly, until otherwise noted, for all infinity._ "

Ryuk couldn't believe it. "That's unheard of! And I thought Light was smart in the way he was using the Death Note. _Hyuk, hyuk, hyuk_. So, how many people has your human killed?"

Geist put up a finger. "Only one, and that person was a mugger who was trying to kill him. Demetre wants revenge against _Kira_ for murdering his grandfather—a man who was absolved of his crime only _after_ his death. But he's willing to wait for it. He knows it was Light Yagami, but I know Demmy is conflicted. He doesn't want to kill his friend. They have too much history."

"The embezzler? Yeah, Light feels bad for killing that guy— _really bad_ —and he wishes he could take it back. But he was under surveillance by L at the time and had to work covertly." Ryuk snorted amused just thinking about it. "He had a mini-TV hidden in a potato chip bag on his desk with a piece of the Death Note—he had prepared it beforehand—and as he did his homework with one hand, he wrote names down with the other, while quite cleverly, then eating potato chips, making it look like he was merely having a snack, and doing homework at the same time."

"So he _knew_ what he was doing at the time?"

"Well, yes and no. He had the sound turned off because he didn't want the cameras to pick it up. All he saw were pictures and names and their crimes broadcast by the news channel. And he was only half-paying attention, multi-tasking between it and his school work. This was back when Light was still in high school."

"So, all he saw were names, pictures and their crimes broadcast on TV, and he wouldn't have known of they were merely suspected of a crime, or held in contention?"

Ryuk nodded. "It was an experiment gone bad, 'cos the next day when his Mom asked for the trash in his room, he had foolishly tossed the potato chip bag with the Mini-TV inside in the hopes of retrieving it some time later. He later admitted it was one of the stupidest things he ever done and he would never do it again."

"And he _truly_ feels bad for what he did?"

"Oh yeah, major guilt trip. Although he still doesn't know who the guy is. He believes the name _is_ familiar in some way, but he doesn't know, but carries on with being Kira knowing he can't change it. Now do you know why I believe Light Yagami is _out-there_?"

Geist nodded. "But none of this will change Demmy's mind. Light Yagami murdered his grandfather in cold blood, he thinks. Demmy loved his grandfather. The whole family blames Kira and hopes L catches him."

"I'm a little confused. The man Light killed with the Death Note with that little trick, suspected of embezzlement, had a Japanese name, and Demetre Draycott, your handler, is American…"

"Yes, I was a little confused myself until it was explained to me. Let me see if I can recall what I was told…

"Demetre was born in America, but his grandfather was born in Russia when they were visiting, his great-grandparents being Japanese. But they do have relatives in Russia, cousins. His grandfather's parents came back to Japan, then some time later, Demetre's mother was born. Then she met an American, Peter Draycott, who was visiting Japan on a business trip, married _him_ , and then moved to America, where Demetre was born. Demetre is named after his grandfather's middle name, Demetre, in memory of his grandfather's second uncle on his mother's side, hence Demetre's Russian roots. Demetre was very close to his grandfather and loved him like a second father. I was told his grandfather taught him a lot about self-defence arts and proper body conditioning. Demetre's first language is English, but he speaks Japanese, French, and Russian easily. He goes by the name Demmy because that's the name Light gave him when they were childhood friends, when Demmy moved back to Japan when he was a child, because his father's financial firm opened up a branch here, and they wanted Peter Draycott to be its Manager."

"All this family sprawling happened within a span of less than a hundred years. You see, Demetre's family breeds quickly. They have children when they're young. Demetre has been the only member of his family who has not been a parent at a young age."

"Wow, some history. You're going to have to show me a family tree, so many branches. So, that was really Demetre Draycott's grandfather who Light killed; the wonders of interracial breeding of some humans and their many facets."

"He also has more relatives overseas in France, America, and other places around the world."

"Big family?"

"Demetre's an only child, but he has lots of blood relatives."

"Nice! So what now?" Ryuk wondered. "About this situation? Demetre and Light?"

"We observe, _for now_. And see what transpires between Light, Demmy, and Misa Amane. I came to be entertained, too, Ryuk. I'm curious what Demetre will do next, and I bet you're curious how the war between Light and L will turn out. Misa Amane is a bother, but Rem won't let any harm come to her."

"And she already knows that Light is Kira," Ryuk said. "Light is a little upset about that, but he bounces back quickly."

"Okay, so it's decided. So, we stay on the sidelines for now. We won't tell our handlers about what we know."

"Agreed. Besides, we both know the consequences if we do."

Geist nodded.

Like bats in the night, they both went their separate ways, spreading their wings, and flying off into the darkness.

_To be continued..._


	12. Light Yagami's Fear

Light Yagami awoke with such a start that he felt like he was having a heart attack. He felt his chest, his heart racing a mile a minute. He put his arms to his chest and tried to reassure himself that it was just a dream. But it had been so vivid, so real, that for a few moments, he thought when he woke up, he wasn't back to reality.

He had been having a strange, almost ominous dream lately. It was as if something had invaded his mind and was cohering him to engage in a strange of game of cat and mouse. He always considered himself a strong person, but with his unconscious mind so open, he had very little power. It was like something was creeping into his mind at night and playing with him.

Still vivid in his mind, his dream consisted of a mysterious shadowy creature with wings as large as avarice, much like a Shinigami, but bigger, much bigger, and it challenged _Kira's_ power. It didn't speak to him, but its actions spoke volumes. The power he hoped to gain when he became the master of the world when Kira was as the one true law maker was at stake with this creature looming over him in his dreams. Was it fear of being caught by L? Consciously no, he had no fear of L. Unconsciously, perhaps, was another story. He had begun to build so much, was he afraid that L would take it down.

He felt fear only once after he first used the Death Note, an irrational fear when using the supernatural book. And he went to bed scared that night with himself curled deep under his bed covers. But his fear of that soon left him when he knew how powerful his motives were. It was like something afar was telling him what he was doing was for the betterment of everyone, even the entire universe. Like another him, whispering in his ear to do what must be done to save the Human Race from itself. A supernatural being speaking to him to kill the wicked and to send their souls to Hell.

He didn't necessarily believe in Heaven or Hell, but he did have the fear of being watched by a god. The feeling had been ingrain in since he was a kid, when his parents used to take him to church.

The shadowy form in his dream was completely cast in darkness, but silhouetted with an angelic light—and oxymoron of imaginary that only the brain could conjure up in abstract form. Was it a manifestation of his inner soul, who he really was? Of even a foreshadowing of who he was to become: to be a Shinigami one day when he finally died? What happened to him when he died was not his concern. What he did while he was alive was vastly important. Kira's actions had the ability to alter the world in such a profound way for the better that he considered his motives pure and honest. It was how he truly felt.

In his dream, he was naked—a sure symbolic image of feeling vulnerable. Was this also symbolic of how he felt with the _Second Kira?_ He had no idea who this person was, while the _Second Kira_ knew who he was, and this concerned him.

This shadowy figure did, in fact, concern him. It was an unknown, and he hated being in the dark about things, which was the main reason he maneuvered his way into the Kira Investigation to stay abreast of any leads.

When the _Second Kira_ told Kira in a video sent to Sakura TV, for which The Kira Task Force viewed, that it maybe be a good thing to show each other their notebooks and Shinigami as proof of their power, he thought that was beyond foolish that that was even spoken, because now L suspected a supernatural connection to the whole Kira affair.

In his dream, the shadowy figure held out a crooked-fingered hand. Was it a gesture of warning or an invitation to join him? He knew the _Second Kira_ had far greater powers than he did. And if the other was smart, he'd kill Light by writing his name down in the Death Note to usurp all power for himself. That's what _he'd_ do if he had the Shinigami Eyes.

He wondered, should he make the deal with Ryuk for the Shinigami Eyes and then kill L, and followed by the rest of The Kira Task Force members? He could then begin his reign as Kira sooner and without resistance. Sometimes fear was a great motivator for action. It was tempting, but he didn't want to throw half his life away on a whim of fear. Light knew his greatest asset was his mind, and he would use it to find the _Second Kira_ and then manipulate him.

But if he put the fear in people, would he be just as bad or worse than the sinisterness he was trying to eliminate? No, sometimes things needed to be done for a better and brighter future. A future with more, for lack of a better phrase, _light!_

He chuckled at using himself as a mild euphemism. When he was younger, kids would make fun of his name. _Without light, they'll only be dark_. Or, _A day without light would be dark_. At one point, a bully kept calling him _Light Bright,_ after an old kids toy, and because he was so bright. But he knew his bully was only jealous. But when the bullying kept on, then escalated to violence, one day, he just finally had enough, and hit his bully, with a steel bar he found. Light broke his bully's left leg in three places, and was suspended from school until the reason for the action was addressed. But there were countless complaints against his bully, and not just from him. But Light had been the only one to fight back.

And now, he felt the same way against society. It was time to fight back against the crime ridden infection of it all. And with the advent of the Death Note, he now had the power to do it. To crush the wicked and help the meek.

He had no doubt he could do this. And yet, the fear of the unknown—who the _Second Kira_ was, and what he might do, the stupid things he's already done—may cost him his life. And Light needed to know who this person was and possibly manipulate him.

He sat up in bed and looked out into the darkness of his bedroom. He often wore track pants and a shirt to bed, but it was a little humid last night, so all he wore was a pair of shorts. He felt his hair and it was matted down with sweat. When he was kid, the dark frightened him and he had a night light—yet another thing kids teased him about. Children were often afraid of the unknown. But he soon learned there wasn't anything in the _light_ that wasn't in the dark. Only, in the dark, things could hide better. Like the family cat, which, stayed to itself most of the time.

He had found the cat one night in an alley and brought it home when was a kid, it was injured. From that day on, it stayed. But it wasn't a social animal, so it hid most of the time, rarely seen. For that reason, he called it _Kowai Neko_ , or _Kowai_ , for short, which meant, Scaredy Cat, or just Scaredy. It was also black, so it hide well in dark places.

He stood up, and moved to his sliding glass doors in his room. He opened it, and a rush of warm air came in, but strangely gave him a chill. He shivered, when he ventured out onto his balcony. He was half-naked, but he didn't care, there was no one out this time of the night. There was a full moon and he gazed into its abyss.

"I intend to oversee my world for a very long time," he recalled saying to Ryuk on that first day they met. Ryuk had come to him, called by the Death Note, to his room. Light proclaimed his intentions to him right then and there to the Shinigami.

On a conscious level, he knew that the Second Kira was a threat to him. And in a dream, it was very difficult, but not impossible, to control an underlining fear. And this shadowy, ominous creature in his dream was a manifestation of that fear.

_There, I analyzed the dream and put it to rest. The dream is solved. Now, my next step is to find out who you are, Kira Number Two…and if you're truly a threat to me. I'll eliminate you!_

He looked across the street to an adjacent townhouse. There was an older young who lived in a townhouse, who was not afraid of exhibitionism, and tonight was no exception. Her window was wide over and her covers were off. He focused his eyes on her, and began to get excited. He cleared his throat and then quickly turned away, his face flushing.

He felt his adrenaline rush and his heart accelerate. He was a teenager, of course his hormones were in flux. It was then, he remembered Dana Chika, and his heart sank. She was the first woman he had ever loved, but then she just disappeared without a trace, no word, nothing. He felt he had done something wrong and Demetre, his best friend, helped him get through those sad times. He even cried a little.

Throughout it all, Demmy had been with him. And he was thankful he had a friend. Which caused him to wonder about the phone call they had, or had it just been his imagination that Demmy was fishing for information about Kira? Why would Demmy be so keen about the Kira Case all of a sudden?

He noticed his shorts were wet, from sweat. So, he stripped and changed, then went to the bathroom to wash his face. He felt dirty, disgusting, as if he had just woken up in a puddle of muddy water.

Once, when L was attempting to trigger a reaction from Light, to make him reveal a side of him he wished to remain hidden, and only just recently, he obviously coaxed his father to sneak into his bedroom late at night, to quiz him on Japanese Law, speaking to his subconscious mind, as he was in REM sleep.

A person can respond to another in a subconscious state, and Ryuk said he was present for everything. Which concerned him, he was never one to speak in his sleep before, and what if he said something he shouldn't? It's wouldn't be admissible in court, anyway, because it would be a form of coercion. But what he said may give L some leverage he needed against Light.

Ryuk said, he responded to every question asked, properly, but afterwards, he began to develop headaches whenever thinking of the Death Note, like some sort of morality backlash. In the end, he told Ryuk how to reverse the damage. And yet Ryuk had a little fun at Light's expense, and made Light urine in his sleep, basically peeing his bed. What he was feeling now felt similar to that, but only with sweat—the dream had been brutal. (Ref: to my story: _A Conscious Decision_ )

Looking in the bathroom mirror, he saw the reflection of a bitter, young man, angry with the world. His eyes, almost glowering with demonism. Was he actually possessed by the Death Note? Only he could see Ryuk, so he was, technically, a demon, and the Death Note was incentive to commit acts of murder. But no, Light was using the Death Note of his own free well.

_That's right_ , he thought he heard a voice in his head. _You have free will to use the notebook. No one is forcing you._

He turned around, as if to follow the hidden voice. But had it just been his own mind confirming his thoughts?

But what he had been doing with the Death Note was not enough. The world still needed cleansing. But now a new "saviour" had arrived in the form of a "Second Kira". If left unchecked and unchallenged, he could unravel everything Light had done, up until now. And he didn't care if the second video to Kira said that he wanted to join Light in his plight in the birth of a new world. There was only one Kira. A god does not share his power.

He needed to know who the _Second Kira_ , was and if need be kill him, to keep his secret.

Suddenly, he looked at himself again in the mirror, outside the Kira persona he had created, and saw the bright, young man who planned to take on the world and join his father in the NPA. It like he was looking through his own eyes again, that he had taken off a pair of lens. _The Eyes of Kira_ blinked away.

He had wanted to be a cop all his life. He studied hard. And even joined his father at the shooting range every once in a while to watch target practice. But it wasn't about holding a gun, or putting on a uniform, or following in his father's footsteps, it was about upholding the law. Light Yagami wanted to help people. He wanted to make a difference in the world.

"That's what I've always wanted to do," Light Yagami spoke quietly to himself. And the Death Note was helping him in his life's ambition. He still wanted to be a cop, but with the Death Note, cleansing the world of crime would make his efforts a whole lot easier. "And then Kira will be the god to the new world."

It was then something caught his eye and he put his hand to his chest. He looked very thin, too thin. He flexed his left bicep, but it showed very little definition. He had a flat chest with very little pectoral muscle and his ribs were showing. He wasn't malnourished, but he didn't eat much or exercise either.

He sighed. "A god can't look like a poor peasant, I better begin an exercise regime tomorrow," he mused. He put on a shirt, and got into bed. He had focused so much on his plight as Kira that he was beginning to neglect his own personal needs.

He straightened his sheets and puffed up his pillow and tried to go back to sleep. But something began to nag at him, something in the back of his mind told him something was amiss.

He sat up and looked around his room. Where was Ryuk? He called out the Shinigami's name, but there was no answer.

Ryuk normally stayed in his bedroom at night, or as far as he knew—boldly going through his personal stuff and reading his journals to starve off boredom as Ryuk didn't sleep much. Ryuk reading his journals irked Light, he didn't want the Shinigami knowing his inner most thoughts, especially when he was a kid. It was a total invasion of his privacy!

Had the Shinigami decided to venture outside?

"You're starting to become very adventuresome, Ryuk," he said openly.

He would ask the god of death about it in the morning.

In the meantime, he laid down, and in less than a minute, he was asleep.

_To be continued..._


	13. Enter Zurn - Part 1

Now known, Misa Amane— _the Second Kira_ —was destructive to Kira's reputation!

She was the stupid, dumb, and overly emotional type. And while completely loyal, she was nothing but a hinderance to his cause. Light was incensed that this _girl_ had the audacity to infringe upon Kira's sacred and private domain.

She had arrived on his door step a few days ago and told him an in-depth story of how she found him, how she accomplished everything she did, and why she gave L the video as part of an elaborate plan to find Kira. Although, she didn't think it would be as easy as it had been, which incensed Light even more. Her actions could have gotten him caught. And while he felt embarrassed by her gambit, she used quite an interesting form of bait to lure him out of hiding, the _Illusion of Control_.

It was when one person made another person believe they were in complete control of a situation, while being steered elsewhere unconsciously. And this is what Misa did to Light using the fake diary page she wrote, given to L and The Kira Task Force. It was extremely risky, and it could have backfired. But it appeared to play out well for her.

It was mere coincidence that Light was acting as a member of the task force and saw the diary entry. Otherwise, Misa would not have found _Kira_ at all, dressed in a disguise. Even with his brilliant idea of "hiding" amongst a crowd of his student peers as they walked up and down the street near the _Note Blue Jazz Club_ , watching the club to see if any suspicious characters entered. It was a false guise, hanging out with his friends with Matsuda within and with Ryuk flying above him.

If Misa— _the Second Kira_ —did see Ryuk, she wouldn't know whom he belonged to. Or so he thought. But Rem, her Shinigami, knew, and since Misa had the Shinigami Eyes, his lifespan was not visible to her.

The rules stated: Anyone who owes a Death Note, their lifespan cannot be seen by another user.

He didn't know this, Ryuk failed to tell him this, so even after his charade. And everything he did was for nothing.

Now L was more suspicious of him than ever after the stunt. He didn't want to share his power with this stupid girl, who turned out to be a very _popular_ movie actress, and well known for her romantic movies and exotic commercials.

An old girlfriend of his, when he was a lot younger and just beginning to date, was obsessed with some of the products Misa was a spoke-woman for; she was not the spokesperson for them then. She was a girl in grade school, they only dated for a few weeks, and he ended it when she revealed to be a self-absorbed, narcissist, who had no substance, and in truth, no brains. Misa reminded him of her, which irked him even more. And to top things off, Misa wanted to be Light's girlfriend.

But Misa was confident, aside from being completely loyal, and that was an asset. However, she also came with a very over-protective Shinigami named Rem that threatened him with death if anything "abnormal" happened to her—death or otherwise. Misa had literally begged him to join Kira's cause, handing over her Death Note to him on loan. Misa was still its legal owner, he was merely holding on to it. With Rem's threat reigning over his head, if he harmed Misa in anyway, the offer was redundant.

The rule still applied, however, that if Rem killed anyone for Misa, she would die. Just like the Shinigami Rem got her second Death Note from to give to Misa. Some Shinigami named Gelus, saving Misa from an over-zealous, insane stalker who almost killed her. And he wondered, when Ryuk had mentioned one time that his lifespan had changed, did Misa's introduction into the fold, do this? Was Misa here to protect him from L? Could this stupid girl actually have changed certain future events whereas Kira's plans would actually flourish?

He had no idea, and he wasn't worried about it. The only thing was, he had to watch Misa and Rem very carefully, so his power wasn't usurped, and L didn't find out about the Death Note.

However, Light did point out, when they talked in his bedroom, that Misa did act foolishly when she mailed those tapes to Sakura TV. But Misa said that they could not be traced to her. He wondered if that could he true? L had the tapes now with the envelopes they arrived in. And with even the best of methods, still, nothing was fool proof. No crime with its best laid plans was absolute.

She left his home on good terms and promised to obey his every command.

All that happened a few days ago.

Now, monitored and supervised, Light, fully equipped with safety goggles and headphones, aimed a test pistol at the distant target bullseye paper that hung by a line fifty-feet away. He poised and then fired. He took a couple of shots, but knew he wasn't a very good shot. He missed the bullseye again and again.

He lowered the gun, and his supervisor lightly touched him on the shoulder so not to startle him.

"Lower you elbow slightly and don't be so rigid with your shots, Yagami," he said to Light, standing to his right. "You look too tight, try not to be so nervous," he further said, attempting to soften Light up with confidence.

His father was the NPA Chief and in preparation for Light's fellowship as a police officer accepted Light's request to begin using a weapon in training since he was of age. Light had passed the psychological exam with flying colours to begin training, so his mental state was in good order—despite his irritation with L breathing down his neck.

It was Saturday afternoon, and since he had to split his time with university courses and police training, he wanted to jump in with both feet, so the weekend was the best time. With his school work easily completed, he had come to the firing range for some course instruction. But frankly, his aim wasn't very good. He knew the practicals and the mechanics of firing a weapon, but when it came down to it, he needed major work. And that's why he was here.

Darts he could master, but a gun was much different. Something was missing that fell out of his mental equations when firing the weapon at the target. Or maybe he was just over thinking it? He failed to get a bullseye after practice, anywhere close to it.

" _My big brother's a genius!_ " his little sister's voice rang in his mind. She had said this one evening during a family dinner. He had thought modest of it at the time, but now he realized how flawed the comment was, especially when it came to mastering this supposedly simple task of a police professional.

The bullseye target paper reeled in. His supervisor examined it, taking it off the line. Light removed his earphones and goggles. His supervisor mused. "You're getting better, Light. But you're way too stiff when holding a gun, or maybe it's something else?"

Was Light too analytical in trying to perfect his shot that he was over-thinking the entire exercise like a perfectionist? That normally was his problem in seemingly simplistic things, he was a thinker. He tried to think at least five steps ahead, much like when he was playing Demmy in chess. But he wasn't going to let this beat him. Holes were everywhere, in a random, chaotic pattern, on the target paper. There was no conformity. And he hated that. And nowhere was there a hole near the bullseye.

"I want to continue, sir," he said. "I know I can do this!"

"Maybe it's your weapon of choice," said a disembodied voice from another sectional. Light angled back and saw a well groomed, tall man in a suit and tie with short, brown hair, and broad shouldered.

Light's supervisor gazed at the man. "It's a standard test pistol, Detective Wellington, every cadre must master it before advancing to a field weapon."

"I know."

His supervisor then said, turning back to Light. "I'll file this, Yagami. We'll try again later." Light accepted that, a little disheartened that he felt like a failure, but he acknowledged his failing, and would move on. His supervisor then left.

The other extended a hand to Light. "Zurn Wellington," he said. "I'm English born—without much of an accent, as you may hear—but I was raised in Japan since I was a kid, so I can speak the language." He winked. "You're Light Yagami, right? Son of the Chief? I've heard a lot about you. Your father speaks very highly of you."

"Yes," Light replied a little embarrassed, shaking Zurn's hand. "But I don't seem to be doing very well."

Zurn waved it off. "Don't worry about it, most cadres are nervous with a gun. In fact, if you're not, I'd be worried. Respect a gun, and it'll never let you down."  
"Sound advise, Detective Wellington," Light agreed. Zurn smirked, then holstered his gun in a hip pouch.

"So, have you started helping your father with the Kira Case yet?"

Light swallowed and his eyes widened. How the hell did Zurn know that?

Zurn chuckled. "Don't get alarmed, I know things. One, you've helped your father in difficult cases in the past. That's not hard to research. And two, I was one of the detectives that bowed out from the Kira case when it got too hot, after Kira began killing FBI agents and NPA police officers."

Light nodded. Kira—or rather he—killed those twelve FBI agents when they began to hunt him down, but Misa was the one who killed the NPA police officers when they tried to storm Sakura TV.

And being a member, or former member, of the Kira Case, Zurn would be privy to all this information, so it was not surprising. And probably, with Light being the chief's son, he'd probably be told certain things.

But why was Zurn discussing confidential information here? He mentally chided himself. When he nodded, without saying a word, he allowed his unconscious body language to give Zurn the answers he sought, mainly that Light knew what his father knew, and if such, also knew about L. But that's all he'd get. Only he and The Kira Task Force were privy to information _outside_ Zurn's knowledge, so Light still had _more_ information than Zurn.

"If I may ask, what department are you from?"

Zurn tilted his head slightly, hesitated for a moment, then said, "Criminal Profiling," he said. "My field of expertise is in behavioural and clinical psychology, but sometimes I stretch my legs and take field work to exercise other less used skills. I don't get to use a gun very often, so I'm down here whenever I can."

"You're a good shot," Light admired, looking at Zurn's target paper. He hit the bullseye with every shot. Light turned back to Zurn, and was taken aback when Zurn began to stare at him. He blinked a few times curiously. "Is something wrong?"

"You're nervous, I can tell. You're also _hiding_ something," he said.

Light squeezed his gun subconsciously, he was glad the safety was on or he would have fired it into the floor. What did Zurn mean he was hiding something?

_Oh, that's it_ , Light thought. _He's trying to profile me._

Light stood straight, refusing to allow Zurn to intimidate him. "You said something about the weapon I'm using..." He purposely reverted the conversation back to a previous topic, a distraction method to halt Zurn's profiling. "Like the supervisor said, it's a standard test gun for all cadres."

Zurn held out his hand, Light gave him the pistol, and Zurn weighed it in his hand. "No weapon is standard. A weapon should be tailored to its user for maximum efficiency." He then eyed Light. "You're a _toothpick_ , you need more muscle tone to handle the recoil of this pistol."

Light took offence to being called a _toothpick_ , but he let it slide. Besides, he was very thin. He wanted to begin an exercise regime and to bulk up a little. However, in being Kira, his schooling, and now training here, it took up most, if not, all of his time. But he had heard that some calibre of guns are more liked by police officers than the standard issue because of certain features. His father had had begun with a standard issue, but then switched to a more comfortable calibre because it was lighter.

But Light was only a beginner, he didn't know much about the calibre of different models yet. After this, he'd learn.

_To be continued..._


	14. Enter Zurn - Part 2

Zurn gave back the gun, then reached and unholstered his own. It was not a standard issue, Light noticed. It was crafted with sterling silver highlights and was sleek looking.

"Try this," he said. Light took it, and immediately noticed weight, it was like holding a child's toy. "It's a variation of the Smith and Weston, standard in America, but crafted with a low density metal, with a few personal touches of my own, less recoil. Go ahead, try it out. Take a few shots at a target."

Light swallowed. "I don't know, Detective Wellington. I'm only registered to use the standard, authorized test pistol for the firing range. I'll get in trouble for using another pistol."

"Do you see any cameras here? We're alone. I won't rat on you, son." Zurn readied a target paper for him, then sent it fifty-feet away. Light put on his earphones and safety goggles. Zurn helped, and adjusted the pitch of the gun for angle, positioned Light's hands and arms optimally. "Now, see the target? I want you to envision the bullseye as the enemy." Light looked back shocked. Zurn smirked. "C'mon, everyone has enemies. Criminals, ex-girlfriends, rivals…someone you're pissed at."

"I don't feel comfortable with that, sir," Light said. Although he did envision L in his mind.

"I'm kidding. But call it visualization training. And it'll be one thing they'll teach you at the academy. You're going to have to make snap decisions in the field—when to shoot, where to shoot for maximum wounding effect, to subdue your target, and possible kill zones to save lives. That'll also mean evaluating distance and range. And no target is ever the same. Or, you could go the pussy way and allow the criminals to become victims when they stand before a judge and cry police brutality. If you're going to protect the public, you may as well go full throttle." Light looked at him strange. Zurn smiled. "I'm kidding, lighten up, Yagami. They'd never teach you that in the academy. Just follow the rules, and you'll be fine, for starters."

Light nodded, turned back to the target. He readied the gun with the barrel pointed at the target. Zurn stood back.

"After your initial training, you'll be tested on a variety of things in a target course," Zurn continued, his voice a little elevated for Light to hear. "This place is nothing. This is duck shooting. Something I used to do with my father when I was a kid."

"I used to go rabbit hunting in the woods with a friend of mine when I was a kid," Light said, but then quickly shut up.

_Damn it,_ he chided himself. Something about Zurn was lowering his guard, almost like he was luring him into a false sense of security. He didn't have to worry about L or Misa here, so maybe that was why he wasn't as reserved around Zurn.

_He's profiling me! But that's his job, isn't it? However, I did go rabbit hunting with Demmy when we were on those camping trips with Dad. Dad called it 'Survival Training'. But Demmy was always the trapper, he knew how to make wonderful traps and they always worked. So, what if Zurn's trying to profile me. Let him try. I'm harder than he thinks._

Zurn had one more piece of his personal information, but Light shrugged it off. Now he felt tense.

L and Misa had both begun to interfere in Kira's up-and-coming perfect utopia, and it had him incensed. He had to forget about them at the moment and focus here. But he needed to watch out for Zurn now. He was, after all, once a member of the Kira Task Force. If any information came to light for him, he would no doubt try to get back in, and take some glory for it.

He eyed the target, poised the gun, and when he was ready… _fired!_

Then another, and another…

And _BULLSEYE_ each time.

Light gasped shocked.

Zurn slapped him on the shoulder in congratulations. "There ya go! See what happens with the proper focus, even motivation, and the right weapon?" Light lowered the weapon, looked at it, and smiled despite himself.

_Smith and Weston_ , _I'll have to remember to research this particular calibre._

"So, what were you thinking of when you fired?"

_L and Misa_ , he thought. _I was thinking of shooting both straight between the eyes._

Light didn't tell him. He handed the gun back to Zurn, removed his goggles and earphones.

"Thank you," he said plainly.

"No problem, glad I can help." Zurn checked the clip, then holstered his gun. "So Light, do you have a girlfriend?"

Light turned sharply responding to the sudden, invasive question. He looked at Zurn strangely.

"The only reason I ask is because you're a handsome guy and brain's will only get you so far in life."

"Shouldn't that be the other way around? That _looks_ will only get you so far in life unless you have brains?"

Zurn laughed. "Yeah, it was a joke. You need to develop a sense of humour, woman love men with one. And no matter what people say, size does matter."

Light cocked his head. "Interesting, Detective Wellington," Light said inquisitively, "that's three times you attempted to profile me. So, how is it coming? Why am I so interesting to you?"

Zurn's eyes narrowed, frowned thinly. "I was only being friendly, Yagami. I'm insulted. But I should have known better. Teenagers are very defensive when asked personal questions these days. Your father brags about you a lot, he's very proud of you. I only tried to get to know a little about you. And no, I was not profiling you."

Light swallowed. "I'm sorry," he said. Zurn nodded. Light's apology seemed to ease the tension. "Yes, I do have a girlfriend," Light found himself saying as if guilt lead him into revealing it. "Her name is Akari," he lied.

Zurn laughed. "That's ironic," he began. "Akari means 'light', doesn't it?"

Light withheld a nervous blink. He purposely lied about his girlfriend's name to test Zurn's reaction. He was dating Kiyomi Takada at the moment, but Misa wanted to be his girlfriend because he was Kira. But he didn't want him to know about them. He admitted, most teenagers were very defensive when asked personal questions, and highly secretive.

"But if you don't wish to tell me, that's fine." Zurn winked. "One point of advise, kid. If you're going to lie to someone who has majored in clinical psychology, don't show your tells."

"My _tells_?"

"Think of lying like paying poker. If you show your tells, any bluff will be moot. If the other players picks up on them, you'll never win big."

"And what was my tell, Detective Wellington? I admit it, I lied." Light cocked his head slightly.

"Well, first, you forgot to remember I told you your father brags about you all the time. And second, but you wouldn't have known this, he's also mentioned your girlfriend, Takada. She's a well-suited girl, your father said. Thirdly, your body language exhibits volumes. I can tell your mind is split. When you focused clearly on target shooting, with a little visualization training, you got a bullseye. When you were with the supervisor, you couldn't hit one. Something is, well, _distracting you_. Or, perhaps, it's me? Immediately when I asked you anything, you put up your defences, your shoulders tensed up. And when you do, whatever _else_ you're thinking of, distorts your clarity of thought. You focus on hiding whatever you wish others to remain in the dark about. In truth, the mind can really only handle one 'thought' at a time. And a teenager's mind is more chaotic than an adult's."

_Some adults, not all,_ Light mentally corrected. _That's why the Death Note needs to be used, to 'correct' those flaws._

"For someone who said he wasn't profiling me, you clearly stated a lot of information," Light said. "Would you like to know what my favour colour is, too?"

"Don't be a smart-ass, Yagami," Zurn said sternly. "You're a quick study, a good trait for a detective. You practice perfectionism, I can see that; your words and body are honed to a set design. I would imagine your bedroom is immaculate." Zurn looked Light up and down. "Your clothes are clean-pressed, your hair is neat—despite a little long—and your speech has no slang. You've pressed yourself into a perfect, practised mould, or you have some obsessive compulsive disorder, which would explain a lot."

"Is that your assessment of me, Detective? That I have OCD just because of the way I think, dress, look, and talk?"

Zurn laughed. "Don't look so serious, Light. It's what I do, how I've been trained, and what I'm good at. You'll make a great analyst. We could use a smart guy like you at the Bureau."

With his help on the Kira Case and helping the NPA with other cases in the past, his own father had said that to him—that after entering the NPA and following through in his initial training, Light should request a position in the logistics and analytical department, because Light was so exceptionally smart.

The NPA had an Intelligence Bureau, and it focused mainly on cyber warfare, a department that solely worked on statistical data. But he also wanted to stay close to the Kira Case and keep a close eye on L. Just a year before, he thought he had his whole career mapped out. But now with the Death Note, he knew he had to make some slight modifications in his life choices.

"Thanks, I'll keep that in mind," Light said, smiling thinly.

"That's good," Zurn said. "Well, Light. Nice to meet you. Hope to see you again some time."

They shook hands for a second time.

"Likewise, Detective Wellington," Light said, and Zurn left.

The door to the target range closed, and Light was left alone.

"Interesting fellow," Ryuk said. The Shinigami had been there the whole time. "Zurn, is it?" He laughed.

Something about Ryuk's laugh didn't sit right with Light, but he let it slide for the moment.

Zurn was indeed an _interesting fellow,_ Light admitted. And he knew Zurn had been profiling him. For whatever reason, Light didn't know. Yet, Light was also profiling Zurn at the same time. But he appeared to defend himself quite well, without many tells. Was he a spy for L?

But he wouldn't use the Death Note on him. The man was very intelligent and it would be a shame for the NPA to lose such a valuable asset to something as petty as Light suspecting the man was a spy, like Raye Penber—one of the FBI agents he killed. L would immediately suspect foul play if Zurn died of a heart attack, and Kira would be blamed. Hence, Light would be blamed.

_No_ , Light decided. _I'll observe the man for now. That's what a good detective does._

_To be continued..._


	15. A Third Death Note User

_The audacity of that girl! The sheer, unmitigated gull!_

Light fumed silently in his chair at his desk, the mere thought of Misa Amane made his blood boil with a seething anger. And she was too stupid to fully understand the immense trouble she had caused him already with her idiotic stunt on Sakura TV. Not to mention L suspected him _even more_ now!

Misa Amane was the _Second Kira_. Of all people! She was renown in the television and movie business as a romance actress having done several TV commercials and movies. To give such an emotional, unstable type like Misa an instrument of death like the Death Note was ludicrous. At the slightest whim, she could kill anymore for merely being outspoken against Kira. That's not what Light wanted, if he, indeed, had to choose a partner in his plight to make the world a safer place for everyone.

_If anyone, if I could choose anyone, I would choose…Takada. We share so many similar traits it's uncanny._

Misa had foolishly come straight up to his front door and showed him her Death Note, then waltzed into his home and virtually pleaded that she could join his plight of changing the world for the better. And he didn't have a choice in the matter. In the end, Rem threatened him. And if anything happened to Misa that appeared in any way suspicious that Light had her killed, then Rem would kill him, even at the cost of the Shinigami's life.

So Misa was his partner now, and Ryuk was laughing it up. The Shinigami thought it was hilarious. But Kira was a loner and Light didn't want anyone sharing his power when finally he stood atop _his_ precipice, to reign down upon a brand new would, the lawfulness he created through sacrifice.

_This is all L's fault. Broadcasting that message, that I wrote, on television portraying Kira as a sadistic killer—it only enticed Misa to seek me out! Misa fell right into L's hands. She is so stupid! I don't want such an idiot with me! The only good thing is, L doesn't know that I've met Misa yet. And I want it to stay that way!_

Ryuk sat on his bed in a lotus position and chuckled. "Don't pout, Light. She seems kind of stupid, but she's beautiful. A nice catch for you," he remarked, as if reading his thoughts.

But it hadn't been the first time since he had met Misa that he fumed about the situation.

"I'm not interested in Misa!" Light protested. "She's an inconvenience and a moron. I thought Shinigami aren't supposed to sympathize with humans? Rem threatened me if anything happened to Misa. She'll ruin everything! I was already L's prime suspect from the profile's he built. Now my guilt seems to be assured."

"But she vowed complete loyalty to you."

"Loyalty means nothing these days. If it suits them, people will turn on you to save their own skin. Because of Rem, I have no choice but to allow Misa to join my cause. How can I rule with a ditzy girl like her as my queen? I'd rather have something else. _Anyone else_ other than Misa!"

"Like Takada?"

Light eyed Ryuk. "Exactly, she's perfect. And she's smart, funny and beautiful."

"You really like her a lot, don't you?"

"Very much," he said with a thin smile. "But I don't want us to get too involved right now. Misa has a jealous streak. I don't want Takada to have some unfortunate accident. I might have some use for Takada in the future. If I told Takada about the Death Note, I don't know if she would join me. She voices the same opinions I have, has similar interests, and expresses the same concerns about the downfall of society. But I can't take the chance."

"You two would have beautiful babies," Ryuk said, and then chuckled softly.

"Stop joking around, Ryuk. This is serious. I have to find a way to ditch Misa, take her Death Note away, and then persuade Rem not to kill me at the same time. That girl should not have a such deadly power."

"It was given to her by a Shinigami, you found yours. I would say, Misa Amane was a 'chosen one'. One of a handful over the years that Shinigami have handpicked to own a Death Note."

"No, Rem feels sorry for Misa, nothing more. After she told me about the Shinigami Gelus, I knew that right from the start. I've done more with the Death Note than she will ever do! I've helped the world turn a pivotal corner. With Kira's watchful eye, the world is proceeding on a path of peace and order. Misa has killed TV personalities and news broadcasters who have been outspoken of Kira. She's ruined Kira's reputation severely. The internet is calling for Kira to answer for _those_ heinous murders! Lucky for some, being anonymous on the internet, Misa can't kill them for being outspoken. And yet, I agree with them."

"Are you developing a conscious now? I know the reason, you're jealous. Misa has more power than you now. Did you think, when you picked up the Death Note that you were someone special? Reality check, Light, you're not the first to use a Death Note, and you won't be the last. From my count, there are two Shinigami in the Human World right now. But there could be others, too."

Light blinked inquisitively. "Others? Are you saying there are other people with Death Notes other than myself and Misa? Are you keeping something from me, Ryuk?"

"No!" Ryuk said nervously, quickly.

Light was not fooled. He eyed the Shinigami with disdain. "Tell me, Ryuk. Are _other_ Shinigami in the Human World? I have a right to know!"

"Whose to say? And _no_ , you do _not_ have a right to know," Ryuk said. "All I'm saying is, there _may_ be more Shinigami here; I don't keep track of them. That's not my job, it's Justin's."

"Justin? Oh yes, the Shinigami often called the 'Jewelled One'. You told me about him. But don't try to play me, Ryuk, I know you're lying. Your voice is inundated with deception. I'm training to be a detective, remember?"

Ryuk tried to frown, but his big mouth had difficulty. "Doesn't mean you know everything," he said sourly. "And you're no Zurn Wellington."

Light smiled sly. "What a detective doesn't know, he deduces or takes an educated guess, and normally he's near the mark when all available evidence is culminated properly. Or, in the words, by proxy of the most famous literary detective in the world, Sherlock Holmes: _When you have excluded the impossible whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth._ If you want to be elusive, fine." Light shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. "Until you start being honest with me, no more apples."

"That's not fair!"

Light crossed his arms over his chest, rotating his chair at his desk. "Try me. Then tell me what I want to know. Do you know of any other Shinigami in the Human World besides yourself and Rem?"

"Remember who you're talking to, Light. I'm a god of death! Don't threat me, I can kill you easily."

Light snorted amused. "You're bonded to me until the Death Note is finished or I die, whichever comes first. You _can't_ kill me." Light put up a finger. "But I digress. You came to the Human World to be entertained and that's exactly what is happening, in a matter of speaking, while I build my utopia with the Death Note."

"But you might kill him, and he hasn't done anything to you."

Light smiled. "Thank you for that intriguing bit of information, Ryuk. I now know the owner is male. But of course, there was a fifty-fifty chance of that anyhow." Light mused for a moment. "Both Misa and I have admitted that the man in an alleyway downtown near Hachiko Square, a few weeks ago, was not killed by either of us, but he did die of a heart attack. He was known to police as a petty thief, targeting unsuspecting pedestrians. While it's not positive, L deems the man's death suspicious."

"Young people have been known to die of heart attacks before," Ryuk said.

"Yes, but it's very rare. An autopsy confirmed the man was otherwise in perfect health. So, L suspects Kira. Therefore, I can only conclude that there _is_ a third person with a Death Note in Japan, in the Kanto Region, to be specific, like Misa and I, however rare in of itself it may be. But you just confirmed it. And from your body language, you _know_ who this person is…and have been in contact with the Shinigami, which may explain why you've been sneaking off at night when you think I'm sleeping."

Ryuk looked astounded. "Whoa! You _are_ good, Light. You'll make a great detective some day!"

"So, I'm right," Light said, matter-of-factly, almost arrogantly. "Then tell me who _he_ is!"

"Sorry, I won't do it! It'll ruin my fun!"

"Is telling me against Shinigami law?"

"Not officially, but I won't tell you. But _he_ does know who _you_ are."

Light's eye's widened with shock. "You told this _other_ Shinigami that I have a Death Note?"

"Nope, the other Shinigami already knew. Apparently Geist's been watching you for a long time."

"So, Geist is the Shinigami's name?"

"Oops!" Ryuk chuckled. "I let that slip. But that's all you'll get."

Light narrowed his eyes in further disdain of Ryuk. "Yet it's still a vital piece of information," he then said, cocking his head slightly in thought. "So, has this _rogue_ Shinigami told his handler everything about me?"

"Pretty much."

"And what are Geist's feelings on what I am doing with the Death Note?"

"He doesn't care one way or another. He's here for entertainment too."

Light nodded.

"Do I still get apples?"

Light momentarily sighed. "Yes, I wouldn't want to anger a god of death," he said sardonically. _I'll learn who this other handler is and then attempt to bend him to my will._ "I'll find out who this third owner of a Death Note is with or without you, Ryuk."

_To be continued..._


	16. Demetre Meets L

"The Shinigami isn't with him," Geist said to Demetre, as they watched Light Yagami from afar with Takada on the university campus. "And I don't know where Ryuk is at the moment."

The couple were walking and laughing, which was unusual for Light, Demetre thought. Light was not the sort to show his emotions. But from prior observation, and seeing whenever Light was near Takada, he seemed to de-evolve into the atypical teenager looking for love. Takada was beautiful, he couldn't blame his friend.

Demetre stood next to a tall, thick oak tree, one of many on campus at ToHo University. In his hand, was another pair of binoculars, similar to what he used to spy on Light Yagami with at the cafe in Aoyama. His old pair had been broken when his father suddenly appeared at a cafe with his firm partners and he had to exaggerate a truth when his father asked why he was there. He was there to spy on Misa Amane, he said—which was true. But he also had to play the fool, and say that he had a crush on her. Later, he received a lecture on how wrong it was to stalk girls.

He was totally embarrassed about that.

"Takada is beautiful, for a human," Geist said off-handedly. "Not surprisingly, your friend would snatch her up from under your nose."  
Demetre snapped a look at the Shinigami. "What?"

"I may be a god of death, but I see you like her."

Demetre returned his gaze through the binoculars at the couple, frowning. But he did blush. "Nothing so childish," he replied. "She's beautiful, and she's one of the most popular girls at the university, but she's not my type."

Geist mused, said, "Not your type? And what do you mean by that?

"She's too…" Demetre hesitated for a moment trying to think of the best way to phrase it. While she had at all the qualities of a beautiful, smart, sexy woman, there was just something about her that he didn't like. Or, was it just because she was hanging around the likes of Light now? The murderer of his grandfather. But of course, Takada didn't know that she was dating a serial killer. In her mind, Light was merely someone to be around, to laugh with, and to distract her from her studies for a brief time. At least, that's what he thought. "Never mind," he finished, with a sigh.

Geist chuckled softly.

Demetre continued to watch them, when suddenly out of the corner of his vision he spotted an unusual sight. He gasped. "That's Ryuga Hideki, the student who tied Light's perfect entrance exam scores!"

"Where?" Geist said.

"Use your eyes," Demetre chided. "He's sitting on the bench over there."

Demetre focused on him. Ryuga was a weird looking guy, squatting on chairs instead of sitting down on them, no dress decorum, and in of himself, an eccentric looking-person in both his mannerisms and appearance. He looked like the mad scientist-type. And supposedly with those grades, he was.

Ryuga was squatting on a bench in the university gardens reading a book as Light and Takada approached. Demetre found it curious the guy had the exactly same name and spelling of a male movie star. So, if Light ever tried to kill him, Light picture the actor instead at the last moment, and kill him instead.

_Very clever, L…but I'm sure Light's thought of the same thing._

"His name is very different from what he tells everybody," Geist said.

"L's trying to hide his real identity," Demetre said, obviously.

"This guy was sitting behind Light Yagami at the entrance exams and made the Acceptance Speech with him," Geist said. "This guy is L, the great detective, and to protect his real identity from a spectre mass-murderer he gives out a false name. His real name is Louis Lawliet, as you know. He doesn't know about the Death Note yet. He's a clever human, don't underestimate him."

Demetre knew this already. "He's L, a master sleuth. He's going on observation and deduction. Kira needs a name and face to kill. So, naturally L would attempt to hide his identity. And now, with the _Second Kira_ on the loose, he has to be extra careful. As long as he doesn't run into Misa, he'll be safe."

Demetre grinned innately and Geist chuckled. The _Portable Orb_ revealed Kira's entire future, every moment.

Demetre watched as Light and Takada stopped in front of the bench Ryuga was sitting on. Light looked displeased. And then, suddenly, Takada left, seemingly directed away by Light. Demetre wished he could read lips, understand what the two were saying. But it was obvious by Light's stiff body language, Ryuga did not make him comfortable. Of course he was uncomfortable, Light was face-to-face with his rival in a public forum, and there was not a damn thing he could do about it, or to him. L was clever here, and Light wouldn't dare make a scene.

Words were spoken between the two, until a voice shouted: " _LIGHTTT!_ "

Light's face went ghostly pale when he turned. Misa Amane suddenly made her way to him with what appeared to be a female manager in tow. It was the last thing Light expected, or wanted, especially if both _Kira's_ were now present in front of L. Had L somehow planned this, or was Misa's appearance some kind of coincidence?

Demetre couldn't help but laugh.

"The gang's all here," he said, feeling a sense of glee and excitement of this moment. He had viewed this event in the _Portable Orb_ , but being here gave it more elation. "Time for some entertainment, Geist. Nothing like watching an event in person. Like watching the Moon Landing, or Caesar's great Roman victory at the Battle of Alesia."

Misa went over to Light and Ryuga, and they talked like they were all friends. Demetre wondered what the trio were talking about. The _Portable Orb_ had shown him this event, but he couldn't recall everything said.

There was a moment of stillness when Misa then looked at L, above his head, as if she had just discovered something. No doubt, with her _Shinigami Eyes_ —he had just learned L's true name.

Soon a crowd of students began to form around the trio when it was discovered who she was, and Demetre lost his viewpoint. Then overlaid chatting began to sound from the students, which he overheard in volley, and in a split moment, _fandom_ happened. Everyone wanted to see Misa Misa, the movie actress—talk to her, or take a picture.

"They're all here, Demetre," Geist began to say, "take your revenge. Why not kill both Kira's and L?"

"Don't be foolish, and that would ruin my fun. Besides, we already know what's going to transpire after these events. And I'm the wild card here. No one knows about me."

Geist sighed heavy. "I'm bored," he said. "If you're not going to do anything, why are we here?"

Demetre sighed with annoyance. _To spy, naturally_. "I do have classes today, but with my grades, I suppose I can skip a few." He looked at the Shinigami who seemed to stare back at him with seemingly empty eyes. If only to appease the Shinigami, he then said, "Very well, Geist. I think I have the perfect activity to relieve your boredom. And in an ironic twist, it'll also provide me with some further entertainment, as well."

"Like what?"

"You'll see."

" _Hey! Who just touched my butt?_ " came a shout from Misa.

"How imprudent! That's unforgivable! I shall catch the culprit," a voice sounded, what sounded like L's voice.

Then there was a short burst of laughter. "You're funny," Misa said.

"Can I touch it, too?" came a non-descriptive student male voice. Then, "You're an idiot!" response.

Misa Amane's manager suddenly broke up the circle and pulled her away. Her manager said she needed to continue a _shoot_ , a job, and that her lunch break was over. She was a tall, well-dressed woman with glasses. They managed to squeeze out of the crowd, and then went to leave. Then there was disappointment from the crowd, they wanted more time with the movie star in this open forum.

Normally, they would have to pay for such a privilege.

_This must be very embarrassing for you, eh, Light?_

Light and L then went their separate ways, after Misa left with her manager.

Light then began to make a call with a cell phone…

Demetre decided to follow Misa instead of staying to watch Light.

Besides, he could re-visit anything he wanted concerning Light in the _Portable Orb_ , but Misa's history was more elusive. And the Portable Orb never caught how she was captured and imprisoned by L. This was a great opportunity to learn how. Rem would not speak to Geist, and therefore, any information about Misa was subjected primary through the _Portable Orb_.

Following Misa and her agent from afar, he quickly stopped, and hid behind a near-by tree, when he saw a group of four men dressed in business suits, and face-plates, grab them both, blind-folded Misa and shackled her, secretly, when no one else was looking, then ushered Misa into an unmarked black van, and drove away.

The men in the face-plates, once Demetre realized the reason, obviously worked for L and were protecting their identities from the "Second Kira".

"These events were not shown to me in the _Portable Orb_ , but now I know how Misa was captured," he said. "I always like to get the full picture of events to make my next move, that's the best strategy."

"Naturally," Geist replied. "You may be the _wild card_ in this cat and mouse chase between your friend and L, but even with your knowledge of events, and you possessing a Death Note, you have not made any changes to the timeline shown to you. Well, nothing significant, that is."

Demetre then turned to see L leaving, walking across campus to a black stretch limo that was parked at the side of the curb in the parking lot. An elderly gentleman in a chauffeur's uniform was standing at the back passenger door, opened it for L. The older man then leaned, and said something to him. It was then L turned, and looked directly at Demetre.

Demetre felt the detective's eyes bore into his skull like a laser as he stood hiding like a coward behind the tree. And for the first time in his life he felt a little panicky. He wanted to run, although he hadn't done anything wrong other than a bit of voyeurism, but nothing that would warrant an arrest. So, why was he nervous right now?

But this was L, the great detective—the man who was hunting Kira. It was hard not to be a little intimidated.

This event was an unknown factor. It was not something portrayed in the _Portable Orb_ Geist had shown him. Demetre was not even in the events he was shown. So, why was L looking at him? But, as he stated to Geist, these events had not been captured on the _Portable Orb_ , so perhaps, this did happen, unknowingly.

L walked over to Demetre.

"Hello," L said. "You're a student of ToHo University, correct?"

Demetre stepped into the open. "Yes, and you're the guy who tied Light during the entrance exams?"

L produced a thin smile. "Correct. Ryuga Hideki is my name." He extended a hand. Demetre shook it. "And you are Demetre Draycott, Light Yagami's best friend from childhood, are you not?"

_Is it prudent to say yes? Why lie? It would be stupid to do so. If L knows about Light, he obviously knows all about his friends, examined his entire life, his family, and his history to better understand his incentive to kill—even thought he doesn't know how._

"Yes, I am. What just happened? With Misa Misa, that is? Why was she carted away like that?"

L seemed to analyze him for a moment. "What do you mean? Why would you think I had anything to do with what happened to Misa Amane a moment ago?" But before Demetre could formulate a response, L smirked. "You and Light Yagami are following a similar path in law, are you not? When you were kids, you, Light and Chief Inspector Yagami enjoyed sabbaticals in the woods. Survival training, I believe he called it. You're Light Yagami's closest friend. I've seen you in Light's political science class."

_Classic diversion of the issue, time to blow some smoke_ , Demetre mused. "And what are you, some sort of detective?" he asked.

L smiled. "Please, come with me." L gestured towards the limo. "I would like to talk with you a moment, if you don't mind?"

"Am I in some sort of trouble?"

"No, but I would like to have a chat with you about what you just saw, away from prying eyes and ears."

_The worse thing to do would be to deny what I had seen. So, I'll pretend to be innocent._

He joined L in the limo. The elderly man closed the door when they were inside the luxurious and spacious interior, and it drove off. He was, indeed, intimidated, especially with L crouched on the rear seat like some sort of monkey.

_To be continued..._


	17. Plans To Visit The Shinigami Realm

"After a year, if I don't regain my memories, or if Misa isn't released, you can kill me with the Death Note," Light said, as he stood in a densely, wooded area with Ryuk and Rem. It was just past midnight.

Both Shinigami confirmed Light had not been followed.

Light hoped his words didn't come back to haunt him someday—or even if they did, it would be too late to regret it.

But it was terrifying to think that very soon his whole world was about to change. The events with L, the NPA, ICPO, the FBI agents, Misa recently being carted away by some of L's secret men, now held in an undisclosed location—L believing Misa being the Second Kira—it was all beginning to become too much.

Light had tried to call her just before he found out L had taken Misa into custody on suspicion of being the Second Kira, when she came to see him at ToHo University. This action of in itself made _him_ L's prime suspect in being Kira.

This forced him to change his game strategy sharply and to make an important decision.

Light told Rem and Ryuk his plan and Rem agreed to it only if Light would rescued Misa. If Light's plan succeeded, Misa would be freed and Rem would not kill Light!

Rem told Light it was his fault Misa was imprisoned and the Shinigami issued Light an ultimatum.

Rem said, "If anything happens to Misa, and you are the cause, I will kill you, Light Yagami!" The Shinigami had said this in her virgin encounter with him, and it resounded it with him now.

In this incognito rendezvous in the woods, Rem explained that Misa had recanted her ownership of the Death Note, and therefore, had lost all her memories of it. So, even if L tortured her, and did his worse in an attempt to make her talk, it would be futile.

Rem was again in possession of Misa's Death Note.

Ideally, Misa not knowing about the Death Note was perfect to Light's plan in being Kira. But apart from this, Misa still kept her memories of her overwhelming love of him, which was a paradox (she only learned Light was Kira through her knowledge of the Death Note, therefore, all her memories of the Death Note and its associations should also have been gone).

That ruined things. Now he had to rescue her or risk destroying everything he had accomplished. His own life, on the line.

Rem cared for Misa very much.

_Maybe I will be able to use this information to my advantage someday?_

If a Shinigami cares about their handler and then kills to protect them, then it will cost them their life. Much like the story of Gelus, Misa told Light about.

Rem, who looked like a giant, white, walking skeleton, spread her wings and flew off after Light concluded taking, assuring his plan to rescue Misa would work. Despite Rem being invisible to those who had not touched her Death Note, Light very much feared that, even unseen, Rem could potentially be a deadly enemy. And if he wasn't careful, Rem would kill him without warning. She once said killing him would not affect her, because Rem didn't like him.

_I don't plan on dying any time soon. I plan to reign over my brand new world for a long time. I didn't trade half my life for the Shinigami Eyes like Misa. I'm smart enough to figure my way out of this mess, even under these difficult circumstances._

Wearing a light grey track suit when meeting incognito with the Shinigami, Light had doubts about the plan he had conceived. One small slip and he would go to prison for the rest of his life. In truth, he had no choice: it was either help Misa or die. His plan was rather predictable in this circumstance, but he knew he could pull it off.

It was simple. Officiate a flimsy lie like he had a double personality or had been possessed by some otherworldly being, claiming that he may be Kira, but didn't know it. L had him pegged as being Kira because he fit the profile. What better way than to off-set and confuse L than to suddenly claim he was the very person L suspected him to be. It would produce a "shock factor" and would punch doubts into L's supposition immediately and in the minds of the task force.

_It was so crazy, but it might just work!_

L would wonder why Light would subject himself to such intense scrutiny and throw L's strategy off kilter. The very nature to L was that he enjoyed out-thinking his opponent, to force his enemy into making a mistake and expose themselves. Light had thought ahead, several moves beyond. He would have to forgo his freedom for a while, he would no doubt he interrogated, but it was the perfect way to prove his innocence—then continue his grand agenda once more after he was freed.

Once incarcerated, which he knew L would insist on, like Misa was at the moment according to Rem, the list of criminal names he wrote down in the Death Note with a future date stamp would start dying. He had explained why he did this to Ryuk and it was in the event if Kira was ever incapacitated and couldn't write names down, Kira would continue in his judgements while Light was being watched.

Held by L, this would certainly be such an event. When people continue dying, this, hopefully, will prove Kira was still on the loose, and both he and Misa were not Kira, due to lack of evidence, and then be released. He had thought of everything.

_Including something else, and a more permanent way out of everything if the case calls for it._

But how patient would L be until this point was proven?

Light knew at least a couple of weeks. But could that be stretched to months? If it's a year or more, Rem will kill him.

He knew that that wouldn't happen. He knew the law. The law says a person can only be held for seventy-two hours without them be charged with a crime. But this was L, and he was the law! He had every authority to keep anyone for any length of time. Charge them with any crime with evidence.

_But L has nothing. And I will prove it!_

L believed Light was Kira. But this was based mainly on conjecture from circumstantial evidence, L had no way to know about the Death Note. Light fit the profile of Kira, psychologically. But so many other people did as well and didn't kill anyone. L determined Kira was a student who had a child-like sense of justice. Light disagreed with that.

Light was not a child. He knew right from wrong and what he was doing was cleansing the world of its filth because the world was on the verge of exploding if something wasn't done to bring order to the masses. He had nothing in common with any insane despot who thought the world was a chaotic place and needed re-ordering.

_The world is a rotten place and it needs to cleansed of its filth. I still feel there are good people in the world, and those people will continue to survive. L sees me as a criminal and I will prove him wrong. I am Kira, the saviour!_

Everything was going well until Misa entered the fray. Light challenged L with oneupmanship and Light was always one step ahead of him. With Misa now captured, it was too late for wishful thinking, even with her memory wiped of the Death Note. She just knowing him put Light in grave danger. He had to take a big risk to take the heat off himself, or Rem will kill him.

Light mused. "I'll beat you, L," he said, "and show you who is smarter."

"You're taking an awful risk, Light," Ryuk said, watching Light insert the Death Note Ryuk had given him into a plastic sleeve and then seal it into a lock box. Light had dug a deep hole to bury it under a tree.

"I never thought when I gave you the Death Note that it would be buried here," Ryuk said.

"I don't have a choice, Ryuk. Hopefully Rem will tell Misa where to find it when this is all settled and restore her memories after L releases her. I don't expect L will keep us for more than a few weeks before he's convinced of my and Misa's innocence."

Misa had been forced to relinquish her Death Note due to her incarceration and she couldn't function. From what Rem revealed, Misa was blindfolded, gagged, and bound, unable to move.

In doing this, L was convinced he could brake her down, and try to make Misa confess to expose Light. But Misa had been surprisingly resilient, from what Rem had told him. Rem cared for Misa, so the Shinigami regarded valour the better part of discretion and opted to wipe her memories of the Death Note for her safety. Misa agreed, but her undying love for Light had remained.

Rem was a problem now. And Light had no choice but to do what the Shinigami demanded or his tenure as "god of the new world" would be brought to a sudden and tragic end. If he died, it may even prove his innocence, that Kira killed him, but Kira would be dead too, and the world would fall back into chaos. There was also another problem with that, Kira only killed criminals, supposedly, therefore, the question of why he had been killed would still remain.

The world feared Kira. Criminal activity had dropped nearly seventy percent since Light had started administering swift justice.  
Kira had to live, and Light had to do what was needed to bring his new world to fruition, and like everything of such a large magnitude, it warranted great risk and sacrifice.

So, if L thought Light was Kira, Light would give L every reason to play to that assumption and then pull the carpet out from underneath him, while criminals continued to die while Light was incarcerated. This would hence disapprove L's theory.

Light just wondered how long it would take. That was an unknown factor and he hated that.

"So, do you remember the code phrase, Ryuk? When I say: 'Get rid of it!' in any fashion, regardless of use…that is your cue that I wish to relinquish the Death Note. Understand?"

"Your memories of the Death Note will be lost. Are you sure you want this?"

"Rem isn't giving me a choice, but I'll say it only as a last resort."

Ryuk understood.

"But first, I want you to do something for me. Take me to your world. Take me to the Shinigami Realm!"

Ryuk's eyes widened with shock. "No one has ever asked to visit my realm before."

"Then I'll be the first," Light said arrogantly. "This will be my chance to experience something extraordinary. For, in a couple of hours, I'll be under twenty-four surveillance. Possibly imprisoned and, however unlikely, tortured to get the truth out of me about Kira. If this is my last free night in league with a god of death, I want to see your world, as you've seen mine. A trade off, let's say. I believe I've given you plenty of entertainment to satisfy your boredom in exchange, have I not?"

"I don't see any point in it and I could get in big trouble," Ryuk said. "You won't remember anything if you decide to relinquish the Death Note anyway."

"That's where you're wrong, Ryuk. Because if I do decide to relinquish the Death Note, someday, I'll get those memories back, when I get the notebook back. Simple curiosity begs me to request this. Is there a problem?"

"I don't think so, but I don't think it's a very good idea. It's a realm of death, and, um, you're still alive."

"Oh, of course," Light said, "how foolish of me," but then he smirked.

"Not to mention that your body could be ripped apart by the dimension addies."

"Do you think I haven't thought of that? That's why physics is important. There has to be a way. Mankind's thinking has expanded across boundaries. They say aliens don't exist, they say God doesn't exist, they say ghosts don't exist (although some ghosts have been captured on film), but if Shinigami exist, think of the possibilities beyond this realm? This means there are infinite dimensions beyond mine. This is what I wish to know. If I can understand your world, maybe mine can be saved from future self-destruction." Light smirked. "If that foolish, or noble, I don't know, but I think it's worth the risk."

"There may be a way, but you'll have to use the Death Note. You'll have to write your name down."

Light's eyes widened with shock. "If you suggest I write my name down in the Death Note just to satisfy my curiosity of your world, you're sadly mistaken. If I'm imprisoned, you'll be bored. Why go through that bother, huh? If I write down my name in the Death Note, you'll no longer be bound to the Human World."

"You're being paranoid, Light. I can bring you back."

Light looked at Ryuk strangely. He had read an article in a medical journal that documented case studies of people that had been declared dead, but miraculously came back to life with all their facilities in tact and with memories of what they perceived as an afterlife. But to die by the Death Note would mean by heart attack. He didn't like that idea.

"Resurrect me? How?"

Ryuk reached into a small black pouch attached to his left belt and pulled out a small rectangular black object.

Light leaned in closer. "Is that what I think it is?" he said.

Ryuk nodded. "It's a _Death Eraser_. Like you humans use to erase a mistake using a pencil. Every Shinigami has one, but it's only for very special cases and each eraser can only be used once, then it disappears. We can always get more, but Shinigami kill to preserve their own existence, we don't resurrect people. To ask for another eraser would generate unwanted questions. Like the Human World, we have a political system in place—although, it's mainly a dictatorship with the Shinigami King."

Light could understand that. His world's politics was very complex. Criminals these days seemed to have more rights than the average free citizen. That's why the world needed Kira, to make the decisions too difficult for others to make, to ease the burden on citizens who pay taxes to keep criminals in jail. Murderers, child molesters, serial killers—any criminal that deserved to die, Kira pronounced justice upon them. Kira's judgements made people think twice about committing crimes.

The philosophical issue about what Kira was doing was questionable, and Light understood pro-lifers, that it was a sin to kill anyone unnaturally…

_But someone has to do it!_

Ryuk continued. "I can write down a name, kill that person, and then bring that person back at anytime by erasing their name from the Death Note without any lingering effects. Well, maybe…but I've never done it before, so don't quote me."

Light rubbed his chin, thinking. "People claim while sleeping, they can travel outside their body and exist in a dimensional realm. It's called Astral Projection. The body is basically in a vegetated state. If I understand what you're saying, if I die, then we can journey to your realm in ethereal form. I would still be anchored to my body, correct?"

Ryuk nodded. "Something like that. It would only be temporary. We'll leave your body here in a safe place, so you can return to it. And when I use the eraser, you'll be reborn. No time will have passed, and you will remember what you've experienced."

"In doing this, won't our bond be dissolved? In essence, the Death Note will be finished and I'll be dead. You'll have no reason to continue our association."

"We'll make a new bond with a few stipulations," Ryuk said smirking. "Besides, I'm curious how your plan to free Misa is going to play out. What else am I going to do?"

Light considered Ryuk's offer for a long moment, but ultimately decided for it. Besides, it was an opportunity of a lifetime. And if it could be helped, he had no immediate plans to relinquish the Death Note or his memories of it even when incarcerated.

Light nodded, agreeing to Ryuk's offer. "I'm trusting you to bring me back," he said, retrieving the Death Note from the plastic sleeve he put it in. He opened it to a blank page. Oddly enough, he never thought to be a pen with him.

"Here, use mine," Ryuk said, handing his writing instrument to Light with some amusement.

It was a long, curved, black pen of sorts with what could only be described as a felt-tip at the point. It felt very heavy and awkward in Light's hand and he had to use strength to keep it upright.

Light held the pen over the paper for a moment with slight hesitation, but then began to write his name.

"Of course," Ryuk began to say, "when we first met, I told you that when it came time for you to die, that I would be the one to write your name in my Death Note, and then I would get the remainder of your lifespan. You writing your own name down negates that. I get nothing. So, that's one more reason for me to resurrect you. And besides, this may provide some amusement."

Light finished writing his name down.

"Very well. So, when do we leave?" He looked at his watch and witnessed his life tick by in seconds. And recalled a key rule of the Death Note: " _If the cause of death is not specified, the person will simply die of a heart attack_ ," he recited to himself. "Thirty-seconds until my heart attack, I'm not looking for to this," he said with some trepidation.

"Think of it as an experiment in human behaviour," Ryuk said clinically. "Now you'll get to experience what so many of your kind have been dying for." The Shinigami chuckled.

Light looked at the Shinigami slowly. _Was that a joke?_

But Ryuk was right. He was Kira. The least he could do was experience the very nature of what he was delivering unto the world.  
But in his eyes, death was only the beginning.

_To be continued..._


	18. Visiting The Shinigami Realm

Light Yagami grabbed his chest and his face cringed in agony as he succumb to a massive attack brought on by the power of the Death Note. He had written his own name in the Death Note. The very same book that Light himself had written down so many criminal names, now contained his own, and the person whom the world coined as Kira.

An invisible overseer, the harbinger of death, a god of death in his own rite.

The unwritten, celestial headlines would read:

_Light Yagami, Kira, dead, at age eighteen._

With all the trouble he had caused in dropping the Death Note to the Human World, with now two other Shinigami crossing over: Rem and Geist, would it be best just to let sleeping dogs lie as the saying went? Ryuk wondered. Would it be best to just let "Kira the Saviour", as some were calling him on the internet, die here?

Ryuk knew that the Shinigami King was probably furious with him. But he was bound by the rules of the Death Note, how could he not obey? He knew he would most likely be punished when he got back to the Shinigami Realm. So, would taking Light to his realm be a good idea? If he took Light before the Shinigami King, Light would suffer the Old Man's wrath for killing so many humans, and maybe Ryuk, he, would be spared. It was a something to think about.

Ryuk looked down at Light. He was shocked that Light had trusted him so implicitly.

Light Yagami wasn't gullible, Ryuk knew the human had a plan. And Light knew Ryuk had to follow through in what he claimed or else he would be punished for the chaos in the Human World. Not once did he make a kill with his own Death Note to add to his lifespan while he was with Light, being at Light's side through all this was purely for entertainment value.

He knew what he did would anger the Shinigami King, so he had to honour his verbal agreement with Light—their contract still standing, even if only to save his own skin.

Even in death, he was still chained to Light.

_You arrogant, little bastard…even in death, you still win!_

Watching Light Yagami altar the landscape of his world, catering to a misguided and childish notion of justice, was sickening to say the least. He had never expressed this opinion openly to Light about what he was doing was either right or wrong, but Ryuk did have a conscious. And what Light was doing was similar to what the Shinigami experienced with a group of celestial beings who fought with the Shinigami in a great Death Note war a long, long time ago.

Previously, as Light lay sleeping, Ryuk read through all of Light's personal journals that Light had written since childhood up until the present day, but there was nothing that would opt such a blatant and evil focus and desire to eradicate crime from the world. Nothing in Light's past indicated that he had been subjected to any crime that would make him psychologically unstable to use the Death Note in such a manner that killing other humans so callously would make Light a psychopath.

Although, there was an entry in one a journal that that said Light had once been threatened in his own bedroom by a sadistic boy who escaped from a mental institution. The details were a little vague, and he meant to ask Light about it, but he didn't want to, or that would admit he was reading something personal. And then Light would hide the journals from him. Entries afterwards about the incident were non-existent, as if it never happened, in other journals. In fact, it was the last entry in that particular journal. Ryuk found it by accident, hidden away, and apart from his other journals. For whatever reason, he didn't know. He started a new one right after it, and the following entry was a week later.

Maybe the notion of possessing a god-like power just made Light snap? Or maybe this was Light's way in helping his father to fight crime? No, if that was the case, then Light wouldn't have murdered those twelve FBI agents. So, what may have begun as a noble cause, turned twisted, the Death Note, converting a nice boy into a brutal killer.

It wasn't the first time something of a similar nature did such a thing. Ryuk had heard of other Death Notes making their way to the Human World, some into the distant past.

_So, realistically, it's all my fault_ , Ryuk thought.

There was another future for Light, Ryuk had seen it in the Hole, a portable black orb, he had brought with him. All Shinigami had one. Normally Holes were large, round marbles, situated in the ground in random places in the Shinigami Realm, where any Shinigami could look down upon the Human World. But all Shinigami carried portable ones for personal reasons.

Light's other future was much different, in fact. He became a police officer, but in Light's other future, he died in a freak accident. He didn't show, or tell, Light of this. However, in Light using the Death Note, he unknowingly changed his fate. He changed the timeline, and perhaps killed the very person who caused his accident—when a bullet hit him in the head after it ricocheted off something in his first gunfight when he got involved in something involving the gang known as the Yukaza.

However, Misa Amane's fortune with Rem may have remained. And she made have become Kira, solely.

This may have been the reason why Light Yagami's lifespan changed so dramatically. While human lifespan's change all the time, slight variations depending on life style or health, they fluctuate, Light's changed a lot. And if he did the calculations, Light's current lifespan gave him eighty extra years. So, in saving Light's life, he hit pay dirt. And this gave him even more motivation to keep his agreement with Light.

_Fine, I'll show Light around the Shinigami Realm, but only in out-of-the-way-places, so others won't question why._

He already said the Shinigami Realm was a barren wasteland, so he would make it a quick visit, while trying to avoid any of his Shinigami kind. Then he would resurrect Light and continue with the Kira thing. He would suffer through Light's incarceration. The only thing that would cause him more suffering would be no apples.

Ryuk smirked. The entertainment wasn't over yet.

A ghostly apparition began to emanate, first as a mist then in human form from Light's body. It was the ethereal form of his bodily self. Humans called this spiritual essence the Soul.

Light's glowed with a soft angelic hue as it fully formed, and Ryuk laughed. "Kira, the Angel!"

Light frowned. "Not funny, Ryuk," he said. Light gauged himself over, he was naked. "So the human soul really does exist. This is so surreal! At last, I've solved one of the greatest mysteries of life! But I didn't like that heart attack, I never want to feel anything that painful again. When it comes time for you to write my name in your Death Note...do me a favour, be gentle."

Ryuk laughed. "No promises," he said.

"Now, I'm trusting you to use the Death Eraser to resurrect me. No games!"

"Sure, I wouldn't think of negating on our agreement."

Light looked at his body. He had landed oddly, crippled, folded over, clutching his chest. His hand was still gripped to his heart in a death grip. And his face was ghastly.

"Ryuk, sit me up against that tree, please," he asked. Ryuk did so, gently moving Light's body into a more comfortable position. But chuckled when he saw the expression on Light's face. "You find this funny?" Light stood over his body, his hands on his hips. "Well, I don't! Stop laughing!"

"I'm very surprised at you, Light. You're dead and it doesn't faze you at all. And you're also naked."

"Being naked doesn't bother me. And there's an old saying: Death is only the beginning. For me, with the Death Note, and you at my side" —a sinister smirk broached Light's face— "I, Kira, will be able to accomplish wonders!"

"Now I understand why your lifespan changed so suddenly a few months back. It could be due to this moment. By finding the Death Note, things may have been set in motion for this to happen."

"Let's not jump to conclusions, Ryuk. Like you said, people's lifespans change all the time. Once I return, my clock will continue as you've seen it. I'm not worried." Light smiled smug.

Ryuk stared above Light's head, his eyes narrowed with confusion. "This is bizarre. You're dead, and yet I can still see your lifespan, and its even increasing. This is unprecedented! This has never happened before. Unless space and time has been altered due to the appearance of these other two Shinigami?"

"Who is this third Shinigami bonded to? I want to know. All I know is the Shinigami's name, Geist. The word Geist means ghost or spectre, very simple."

"I'm not going to tell you. Ready to go?"

"Absolutely!" Light said with an excitement he rarely expressed.

Ryuk explained to Light that he had come from the sky when he first arrived in the Human World, by way of a spiral gateway. But as Light could not fly in his astral state, Ryuk opened up a gateway in the ground. It was a swirling vortex of electromagnetic energy with black spikes of lightning generated at its core. It opened up to a twenty-foot diameter width.

Light took a step back as he gazed the ground between he and Ryuk, he stood a few feet from the gateway's edge. "Unbelievable! Utterly outstanding! The Einstein-Rosen bridge, it does exist!"

"The, _what_?"

"Theoretical physics, Ryuk. Inter-dimensions coinciding next to each other separated by space and time."

"I don't really know anything about that stuff, you're the genius. I only know about my realm, human theories are foreign to me."

Light smirked. He could explain things, with a thoroughness, but he had to dumb it down for Ryuk. "Albert Einstein, German-born theoretical physicist who developed the theory of relativity, predicted this. He was one of the best-known minds of the last century in theoretical science." Ryuk cocked his head, shrugged. Light got the hint. "Well, it's absolutely mind-blowing! I am truly a god among men, now!" Light looked at Ryuk, unsure what to do. "So, what happens now?"

"Just jump in. You'll feel a slight disorientation at first, but then before you can say _Shinigami_ , we'll be in my realm," Ryuk said.

Light took a deep breath, but it was merely instinct, like he was jumping into a pool of water, and knew he was about to sink beneath the surface. But however surreal he sounded, he was a ghost at the moment, and didn't need to breath.

He took one step forward and leapt into the vortex.

Ryuk followed.

* * *

Light felt like his entire body was being stretched beyond its limits, which was counter-intuitive to the physical laws of his understanding of astral space, but it did fit the theory of a blackhole and its effects—when anything physical was pulled taught to the point of becoming nothing but a memory.

He thought a ghost couldn't feel any sensations, no pain. But during a slipstream, as it knew it was referred to, every ounce of energy (of him) was being ripped apart, and then reorganized into its original form, or at least, theoretically speaking…

He found himself cohesive again, and not spectral, but made up of flesh, bone, tissue, blood and water. He felt solid, as he touched his naked body. Perhaps, he guessed, in the spirit world, (in the Shinigami Realm), a ghost is solid. This new reality, this new spectral-of-being, and new understanding of inter-dimensional travel, was an outrageous concept. But here he was, solid, non-spirit-like, in another dimension, with a "god-of-death" at his side.

Then he vomited. Indeed, the dimensional addies had affected his stomach, like going on a roller coaster.

Ryuk chuckled.

Light wiped his mouth with his arm, and looked at Ryuk. He was not amused.

_But I'm here, in another world, casting my world away. This is unreal,_ Light thought _._

If he took this knowledge back with him, it would completely change the understanding of the universe. But, he would most likely be considered a quack if he did, not being a scientist. He had no scientific doctorate within the field of theoretical physics.

He stood next to a massive, stone circular staircase at the bottom of what looked like a well. The vortex had brought them here, wherever here was. But only Ryuk knew the answer at the moment.

He was about to ask, when Ryuk pointed up. "Time to use our legs, Light" the Shinigami said.

They travelled up the winding staircase. Ryuk took each step at a time, but for Light, it was struggle. The steps were twice as large as they normally would be in his world. And it was ten minutes before they finally reached the top. Light felt exhausted.

"You should learn to exercise more like your friend Demetre Draycott," Ryuk advised.

"I may just take that advise to heart when we get back," Light said, out of breath. If that was even possible when dead. "He's in great shape. He has the slim build of a swimmer. Once, when I saw him with his shirt off after gym class in our high school, I stupidly blurted out that he had a sexy body. It was a joke at the time, but I have to admit, I wish I had a body like Demmy's."

"You like girls, right?"

"Yes, I do. And what are you inferring?"

"Nothing, I was just checking. Wouldn't want either Misa or Takada to be upset."

The Shinigami Realm was indeed a wasteland as Ryuk had described, as Light looked around. A barren world that reminded Light of an old American Western movie filled with sand dunes and the bones dead animals—dead Shinigami. And each dead skeleton was as grotesque as the next. They looked like something out of a horror movie, science-mutation gone horribly wrong.

They walked for a while, and Light witnessed just how drab the Shinigami Realm really was.

There were mountains and cliffs that towered into an over-clouded, dirty grey, polluted, dusky mist like sky, the temperature was moderately warm, and life was non-existent. Light saw no hint of any other Shinigami. Were they hiding? What were Shinigami dwellers like? Where they all different?

But Light found himself gravely disappointed. It was a dying world, rotting away with neglect in its inevitable demise. It was like some world-wide cataclysm had happened a long time ago and nothing had flourished since.

"Well, what do you think?" said Ryuk.

Light suppressed a frown. _Very disappointing!_ "It is like going to a zoo and seeing no animals," he said. "You said there are many Shinigami, where are they?"

"They're here, and observing us," Ryuk said. "If they choose to be seen, they'll announce themselves. However, they can mask themselves, too. Remember, you can only see a god of death if you touch a Death Note."

"Are they scared?"

"No, just secretive…"

In the distance something blinked or reflected with light. It had all the appearance of one of those large black spheres Ryuk had told him about—a Hole, a large representation of the Portable version Ryuk carried with him. It was submerged partially in the ground, and he went over to it, and touched it. On one side, it was open with a jagged edge, almost like a cracked egg. It was pitch black inside, like a black-hole. But as Light continued to stare into its abyss, the inside suddenly began to swirl with life, and images of the Human World beset his eyes.

He saw L and the task force in a hotel room with an array of computers surrounding them and an image of Misa completely bound to an upright gurney table. She was blind-folded, gagged and bonded, unable to move. This is what Rem had described.

"Is this the past or the present?" Light asked.

Ryuk observed the same images. "This Hole is in-tune to your subconscious, and your touch. Whatever vision you desire to see, it projects it here—for you to see. If you are seeing this now, then this is the present. Were you thinking about Misa Amane?"

"No," Light said simply. "So, this is what I need to rescue Misa from? L's sick and twisted house of torture?"

"Yup!" was all Ryuk said with a chuckle.

"I never knew L would go this far to catch me. I underestimated him."

"She doesn't know you're Kira, remember? Rem took all her memories of the Death Note away. But Rem kept Misa Amane's undying devotion and love for you intact."

Light swore. "I should just leave her to rot!"

"You did mention once that you were a popular guy." Ryuk chuckled again.

"Can I see anything else?"

"What would you like? Just think of it."

Misa was a fool, but he couldn't allow his anger to control him. He had the most powerful "looking glass" in the universe in front of him and he couldn't pass up an opportunity to gaze at other things, or people. And so he did so, and thought of his friend Demetre Draycott.  
And suddenly froze. He slapped his hands on the Hole. He saw his friend talking in his room with, of all things, Shinigami. He could see it, even without touch this Shinigami's Death Note.

_This must be Geist_ , he thought.

The large, strange looking creature sat on his friend's bed, and strangely looked like a reject from the Rock'n'Roll era.

" _Oh, my, god…I don't believe it!_ "

"So now you know," Ryuk said.

"Demmy, he has a Death Note, too?" Light gasped, looked at Ryuk. "That strange, out-of-the-blue phone call from Demmy a while ago, now it makes sense. He knows I'm _Kira_! Geist must've told him! That rotten Shinigami! Did you know about this? Have you two been meeting behind my back? Is this why you're missing sometimes in the middle of the night?"

Ryuk merely smirked. "What do you think?"

"I think I have to re-evaluate who I put my trust in for now on," Light growled under his breath. "Everyone's a traitor!"

"He hasn't done anything to you, yet," Ryuk remarked.

"And why would he do so?"

Ryuk didn't answer, as if doing so would ruin his fun.

Light then said, "And Bryant Harvey, that master criminal. Could Demmy be protecting him? Why? If so, for how long, and for what purpose, and what about the 28 Day Rule that says you can only live 28 days, even after a name is written in the Death Note, to die later? You're not telling me something, Ryuk. I want to know what's going on!"

"Uh-Oh!" Ryuk suddenly said.

Ryuk quickly careened his neck, something caught his eye. Light couldn't see what the Shinigami was looking at, but responded by looking in the same direction. Something was approaching them. Dirt swirled up and around a condensed area like a mini-whirlwind, footprints embedded in the ground in its wake. The ground shook beneath Light's feet with every step.

But Light couldn't see it. Ryuk knew it was something bad.

"What is it, Ryuk? What's coming?"

Ryuk gave Light a worrisome look. "Something bad; something very, very bad!" The Shinigami voice trembled slightly. "I knew I shouldn't have done this. We're in big trouble now! He's coming… _the harbinger of doom_!"

_To be continued..._


	19. The Shinigami Realm And Killogi

"Who? _Who_ is coming, Ryuk?" Light demanded. "Who is ' _he_ '?"

Suddenly the "he" in question became visible to Light and phased into existence as if something in Light's sensory receptors just switched on. At first, it looked like a blur, like Light was looking at something within heatwaves, but then it was solid and clear.

It was a tall, hunched over, and lanky Shinigami, with wiry skeletal features, a feathery head dress and a hook appendage on his left arm.

"That's Killogi," Ryuk said to Light. "He's mean and he's always in a bad mood. He's high up there within the Shinigami, second only to Justin. They say, if you need any law ironed out, and Justin isn't unavailable, just to go to Killogi. He also dishes out any punishment the Shinigami King orders. And he shows no mercy. I knew I shouldn't have brought you here!"

Light Yagami possessed similar traits to Killogi. Ryuk had never met such a heartless individual as Light Yagami. He showed no mercy in his killings. He ruled as Kira by fear. Death was scary to humans, but to live every moment in fear of an unseen god who could kill you in an instant was even scarier.

Kira was pure evil now. That's what Light Yagami was. But he had never expressed this openly, nor would he. It was all apart of the experience. What a person did with the Death Note was up to them.

Light was not the unsung hero he thought he was, but a person who killed for personal gain. Light Yagami had become the very thing he hated, and he was so blinded with power he couldn't see it. And in bringing Light here, Ryuk now realized, he was reinforcing Light's dark notion of being a god. The problem was, even "lesser gods" had to obey a higher power.

Curiosity drove Killogi. It had always been his Achilles heel, in fact. And a long time ago, longer than Ryuk cared to recall, it had become the reason for Killogi's demise. The human axiom "curiosity killed the cat" turned Killogi into a Shinigami. All Shinigami were once other creatures, after they used a Death Note. They all came here, eventually.

Shinigami were not born, they were chosen by others and then trained by mentors to be god's of death. Based on their personality, each one was different and had a unique look, chosen by the Shinigami King himself. What better way to keep a Shinigami in line than to destroy their entire identity, to remake the Shinigami in the King's own image. The _Old Man_ was ugly as nails.

There were also different methods of murder aside from the Death Note, the Death Note was merely a means to an end to collect life; kill a human and gain the rest of their lifespan. Shinigami were afraid to die, because there was nothing afterwards, and this was the ultimate truth of the universe. But there were ways to kill a Shinigami other than the "love" option, Rem told Misa Amane this, and a long, long time ago, the Great Death Note War gave rise to many of these methods.

But in the end, the Shinigami won over their enemy and reigned supreme, nearly devastating their ultimate rival. A race of beings who sought to destroy the Shinigami because they thought the Shinigami were a cancer to the universe.

Killogi had taken so many lives, even if he lived to be as old as the Shinigami King now, it would only be a fraction of his time. So killing for him was not a necessity. Nevertheless, murder was a joy to Killogi. And for Ryuk to bring a human here was a death warrant. Killogi would serve up Ryuk's punishment, and even murder Light, if called upon to do.

Killogi approached the pair, each step he took was thunderous and dirt kicked up in mini sand devils as he walked.

By Light's bewildered and shocked look, Ryuk wasn't the only one intimidated. The Shinigami was hunched over, but if Killogi straightened up—if he could, that is—he would reach over fifteen feet tall.

Light took an unconscious step back and almost came to hide behind Ryuk. But if push came to shove, Ryuk wouldn't hesitate to let Killogi have Light to do as he pleased. He was no hiding post.

Killogi extended his hook appendage at Ryuk when he got close enough. "Why have you violated the sanctity of our realm with this filth? His ethereal form became solid when stepped foot here." His voice was gruff and boomed across the landscape. "Humans are for killing, not pets. And yet, I have seen you are the dog on his leash!"

"Our laws have nothing against bring—"

Killogi cut him off with a swipe of his arm through the air, the hook coming dangerously close to cutting Ryuk's throat. Shinigami couldn't kill each other, but they could be harmed by another.

Killogi growled. "Justin won't like this! Let the human die and be done with it! Abandon _him_!"

"But I agreed to return him to his body after this visit," said Ryuk.

"Who do you think you're talking to!" Killogi chided.

Light took a bold step forward. "I'm here to learn about your culture, and possibly help, call it a foreign exchange trip. Ryuk has told me the Shinigami Realm is in desperate need of rebirth."

Killogi shaped a hateful glare at Ryuk, said, "Your pet speaks to _me_?" Then he glared at Light. "Silence, human! Or I'll cut your throat! I've found your exploits with the Death Note, up to this point, entertaining, but murdering your fellow humans serves us no purpose."

"Light says he can help us," Ryuk said nervously, "and he has some ideas that we can use from his culture to make ours better. We live in a desolate world, Killogi. We, Shinigami, live a meaningless existence. I purposely dropped my Death Note to the human world to have some fun, and I will continue to do so. Light Yagami is still its owner."

Killogi looked intrigued, then: "You show fortitude, Ryuk. But like I said, you are a dog on a leash. You sound just like Geist, that other rebel…He, too, shares those same ridiculous sentiments. We are Shinigami! We handle things ourselves!"

"You sound like some of my world leaders, stubborn and arrogant," Light said staunchly. "There is always room for improvement, but radical change is never welcomed. Look what I am doing with the Death Note. I'm changing my world for the better! I'm eliminating crime and bringing back the sanctity of a safe and an orderly world! As it should be, ruled by me— _Kira_! But some are afraid of what I'm doing and trying to stop me. Like I said, people are afraid of radical change."

With a lightning sweeping motion from Killogi, Light was hit backwards, similar to being backslapped. Light was tossed back and rolled, then he skidded to a stop. There was a path in the dirt and red sputters. It looked like Light was hurt, bleeding.

Ryuk gasped at the awesome power of the echelon Shinigami. He turned to Killogi.

Killogi said, "You should be weary of this human, Ryuk. He is troublesome. And I find it curious that he is not afraid of us. But he needs to be taken down a peg. He needs to be taught a lesson in respect and fear."

"You've seen the future, great Killogi, and you know about Geist, who is a future Shinigami," Ryuk said. "What should I do?"  
Killogi said nothing, but this was all Ryuk needed to know.

He had to make his own decision about Light. Should he end it here, or should he allow Light Yagami's reign of terror to continue in the Human World? Curious or not, he was still bound by the Death Note, as per Shinigami Law. So, was the decision already made for him? He admitted, he was trapped. If another Shinigami murdered Light here, and for him to be freed of the contract, then that Shinigami _may_ die. Therefore, was there anything could do?

Light slowly got to his feet, and came back, dusting himself off, and held his left ribs. He had scratches on his face, as well. He was bleeding from skidding across the hard ground, but he seemed to stand tall regardless. Ryuk knew Light was angry, but Light was mentally strong. He knew to pick his battles and to challenge Killogi was foolish.

"Forgive me, I only wished to help," Light began to say. "If you don't wish to change, then you can die off like everything else. Charles Darwin, an English naturalist, geologist and biologist, and best known for his contributions to the science of evolution, once said in a dissertation: _You can either adapt or you can parish_. I can't help those who don't wish to be helped."

"Oh-oh," Ryuk said. "Wrong thing to say, Light."

Killogi reached out and grabbed Light by the torso. His hand reached completely around and he took Light close to his face.  
Light cranked his neck back to avoid contact.

Killogi said, "You smell sickening, human. You disease your own planet, pollute it for wealth and personal gain, murder and displace others from their habitants, and you're the only species who hunt themselves for sport. We Shinigami should do you all a favour and eradicate you from the universe. We almost did, if it wasn't for a rebellious group who—" Killogi stopped himself. "No, I will say no more about them. And besides, they are no more. Only but a few are scurrying around like rats."

"But that's what I'm trying to change in using the Death Note!" Light said, struggling. "In being Kira, I'm changing the world—putting fear into the minds of criminals, making them re-think their evil ways!"

"You're doing nothing of the sort! Don't be so childish! You're scaring humans into following an invisible god—another one, much like all the gods before to keep others in line with fear of the god's wraith. You create and destroy, fight wars over stupid things like people and land, kill one another for the sake of righteousness, power, glory and wealth. But where has it gotten you? Has your world changed for the better? You humans believe in gods, created by other humans, whereas you should rule over yourselves. Frankly, without religion, or a belief in a higher power, your species would be much better off."

"Are you not a higher power? A god by another name is still a deity. Therefore gods _are_ real, correct?"

Killogi cocked his head intrigued. "Clever reasoning, human," but then he tossed Light to the ground hard. Light cried out in pain when he landed. "Correct, we are gods, gods of death. The opposite also exists. With one, there is another: The dark and the light. And it was _they_ who created your world. But _they_ have long become extinct. Some did survive, but _they_ hide in fear of the Shinigami King. And it is _them_ , I mentioned earlier, that the Shinigami destroyed _their_ way of life."

"The Brigade of—"

Killogi silenced Ryuk before he could finish. With a look, Ryuk casted his eyes away.

"In the end, when judgement comes to you…" Killogi stopped. He looked at Light. "Wait! Why can I see your lifespan?"

"I found that curious myself, that I could see it even after his name was in the Death Note," Ryuk voiced. "I also find his lifespan keeps changing. I don't know when he's going to die, he should be dead _now_. It's almost like something is stopping Light Yagami from dying. I tried reading his future just recently with a Hole, but the timeline is foggy at best. I could at first, but when Geist arrived, things began to change."

Killogi took out a miniature black orb from a leather pouch on his right hip—a Portable Orb or Hole—and gazed into it, wishing it to activate telepathically. Nothing showed. "This is bizarre. All facets of time and space can be seen in the Holes. Your human has no future to speak up or it's forever in flux. Something has happened to the space-time continuum."

"I agree, and I bet it has something to do with Geist," Ryuk said. "When he arrived in the Human World and bonded with his handler, he must have changed something."

Killogi nodded. "Geist altered the timeline when he gave his handler a Death Note, no doubt. Geist's handler did not have a Death Note in the original _Kira Incident_ timeline—I saw the future—therefore, what was seen before, may not come to pass now. All manner of things could be changed. This is very interesting, even exciting, and it could mean things can begin anew."

"Like watching a new episode of your favourite television program," Ryuk remarked. But then thought, Killogi would have no concept of television.

Light grunted from his injuries, then said, "What are you talking about? Are you saying this third Shinigami in the Human World made changes to my future? Do you mean the mess with Misa Amane _could've_ been avoided?"

Neither Shinigami addressed that.

"Three Shinigami in the Human World are not a problem," Killogi said. "As long as they stick to their respected handlers and not interfere in the lives of others, there will no need for me to interfere. But there is the limit to my patience. I'll speak with Justin, he'll know how to handle this." Killogi then pointed an accusatory finger at Ryuk. "But _you_ control him! If he goes on another killing spree, they'll be no humans for the rest of us to kill!"

Light looked like he was about to say something in rebuke, but then Ryuk put a hand across Light's mouth, and shook his head. Light looked angry, but he ultimately relented.

Killogi turned to leave. But then stopped. "Ryuk, one piece of advise: Have your fun with this human, but know this, all humans are troublesome creatures. Remember, you don't need permission to kill him if he gets on your nerves."

Then Killogi walked away, his steps growing less thunderous as he made distance from them.

"What does he mean by that?" Light demanded, his hands on his hips, in an arrogant posture.

Ryuk turned to him, and for the first time, he felt in control. "He means, you better smarter up and do the right thing," he said, as if to scold. Light looked at him with shock-eyed awe. "Rescue Misa Amane, and cool the killings—let Rem handle it. You've laid out your plan clearly. Rem knows what to do. Find someone who has the same ideals as yourself and continue punishing criminals, only then will L be convinced you're not Kira." Ryuk snorted. "Rem will find this someone with similar traits as yourself, and trust me, _your kind_ are a dime a dozen in this world. So, let's get this over with!"

Light smirked. "You know, Ryuk, I kind of feel insulted that I can be so easily replaced, but I understand. And, truthfully, a little assertiveness would go a long way with the other Shinigami if they spoke like you did to me just now."

"What do you mean?"

"Think about it, Ryuk. Others may think you're a fool, but I disagree. The other Shinigami are listless and lazy, as you've told me. You went out of your way, dropping the Death Note, knowing the consequences. This means you wish for something more than an existence of _taedium vitae_ —that's Latin for 'spiritless life'. I felt the same before I picked up the Death Note, merely going through the motions, but not anymore."

"So, now that you know about your friend, are you still going to go through with surrendering yourself to L? What if Demetre Draycott comes after you?"

Light gave him a happy, innocent smile. "Demmy may have a Death Note, but he's no killer. If I have to guess, he used the Death Note he found, which belongs to Geist, and wrote that man's name in the Death Note he encountered in the alley in self-defence, and by mere trial. He's a highly religious person, therefore, and with all due respect, he doesn't have the balls to kill anymore."

Light then gasped, as if in revelation. The name of the embezzler he killed using the trick to foil L with the mini-tv in the potato chip bag suddenly came back to haunt him.

"Aiko Noboru," he muttered to himself. "I knew the name sounded familiar, but I couldn't place it until now." He put a hand to his mouth in shock. "He was young, but he was Demmy's grandfather. His parents had Demmy when they were teenagers, and Aiko Nonoru is Demmy's mother's father, so the name didn't immediately click. He also had children when he was young. I remember Demmy saying his grandfather was only fifteen when he became a father. I only meant him once."

"That young?"

"Age of consent in Japan is thirteen," Light explained. "But most are responsible enough to wait until they're older. I was fourteen when I had an encounter and it wasn't entirely consensual. I was unknowingly seduced with chemical pheromones. They enhance sexual desire, I later learned. But you've probably read about that in my journals, huh? I know you secretly read them while I'm asleep. And don't you dare tell my father. He doesn't know! It was one of the most disturbing periods of my life!"

Ryuk chuckled. "What do you humans call it? Oh, yeah— _blackmail,_ " he said, with another chuckle. "She's the one who kept stalking you while you were still pining after Dana Chika, after Chika disappeared, right? Caught you when you were sad, eh? You humans like to use a lot of metaphors, especially sports-metaphors, when trying to hide true meanings, dont'cha? What did you mean by ' _half way to third'_ when you described that encounter in your journal? Did you two—"

Light grumbled under his breath. "Enough Ryuk! I want to forget about Kuzushi. Kuzushi had major OCD when it came to me, and the last I heard was put on some heavy medication for it. And there was another issue about Kuzuski that I didn't mention in my journal entry, so you don't have all the facts about Kuzushi. And _never_ will! I enjoyed baseball at the time, along with tennis—more so tennis—when I was fourteen, so I used those sports metaphors. Tennis terms just didn't really suit things.

"Anyway, back to the issue at hand. Noborn's the man I killed using the potato chip trick, remember?" Ryuk chuckled with remembrance; Light swore. "Now the strange phone call I had with Demmy makes perfect sense, and the analogy he gave me about a man who was accused of a crime he didn't commit, but was killed for it anyway, rings with me. I murdered Demmy's grandfather in cold blood in an attempt to trick L. It was stupid, so stupid!"

"So, you regret what you did?"

"Of course, I do! Like I told you before. I would normally conduct a brief research of those people I write in the Death Note, but at that moment, I was trying to be smarter than L, which ended up costing an innocent man his life."

"I told Geist such when I met up with him just recently, so he may have told your friend. Anyway, let's go back. I don't want to encounter any more of my kind here. Killogi isn't the nastiest Shinigami here, there are far, far worse."

"Yes," Light agreed. "I believe I've had enough of your world. And I need to do some further things to prepare before implementing my plan with L."

_To be continued..._


	20. Misa Amane, Hostage

L watched Misa Amane via video surveillance from his hotel room. The girl was bound, gagged, blind-folded and tied upright to an elongated medical gurney, in a secluded location.

She had been taken under the suspicion of being the Second Kira, and L thought this method was the best way to interrogate her.

Since she was an admirer of _Kira_ , he thought being aggressive like this may spring leads to finally expose Light Yagami, as the elusive, and original, _Kira_. An investigation into her apartment exhibited that she enjoyed weird and kinky stuff, so L thought doing this may entice her, like a form of Stockholm Syndrome, where the kidnapped person fell in love with their captor and would do anything they wished, like talk. It was illegal, but he was willing to do anything to solve the case. Even controversial methods. If questioned, and he had been by the other Task Force members, he would say it was absolutely necessary.

L still didn't know how Light killed, only that the Kira Case was the most unusual one he had ever undertaken. There was a supernatural force at play here, hinted at the mention of the word "Shinigami" in one of Misa Amane's _Kira Videos_ that she sent to Sakura TV. A Shinigami is a "god of death", but in what form and for what reason did such a being league itself with Light and Misa baffled him.

_Unless it's just wordplay_ , he wondered. _Something to confound me, to stir me in a crazy direction? None of the victims had any chemicals in their system that would indicate they were drugged, injected with adrenaline that would accelerate their heart to the point of giving them a heart attack. And most victims were in good shape and could handle a boost like that._

But if he did bring a supernatural being into play here, then everything from the mysterious heart attacks would make sense, and the method in how each killing was done would fit. Kira had the ability to kill from a distance. If he were to go this way, then Misa and Light may be innocent, and this supernatural being was the true killer. Were Misa and Light just pawns?

He needed to gather more information and interrogating Misa in the last little while proved fruitless. She was very talkative, but had little to say when it came to information he needed. She had lost that resolve when he captured her, she was close-lipped. But now Misa Amane wouldn't shut-up. Like, she came in with one personality, reserved, but now, she was loud, demanding, and accusatory—that he was violating her rights, when he did allow her to talk to answer his questions.

Something had changed in her and the girl seemed utterly clueless now. She now believed she was the hostage of an insane, radical fan. She even asked if L was a relative to the 'crazy man' that once attacked her on the street with a knife, who later died of a heart attack. If this man was killed by Kira, then Misa was saved by _something otherworldly_ that night—possibly a Shinigami guardian angel. But looking back, this was before Kira came onto the scene, or before he noticed.

Misa had not broken during a vigorous interrogation with drugs and other devices Watari used on her. And what she revealed didn't tell L anything he didn't already know, stuff from the news.

But Misa wouldn't be silence now, and her whinny voice was starting to annoy him. She cried out to be free. What she was exhibiting bordered on split-personality disorder, and he wanted to know why.

A week earlier, the day Misa was kidnapped from the To-Oh university campus, L had a separate issue to deal with, and one where if it wasn't immediately defused, could have escalated into a full blown media frenzy. Kidnapping a major celebrity off the street was not only a serious crime, but it would seriously compromise L's position within law enforcement circles and possibly discredit him, if it ever got out.

A student at the university, Demetre Draycott, witnessed Misa's kidnapping, so L asked to speak to Demetre about what he saw, driving him around in the limo that L always rode in with Watari at the wheel. He asked him about his friendship with Light Yagami, they had known each other since early childhood according to data he had gathered. But through a series of conservative but rigorous questions, he was satisfied Demetre didn't know anything about Light being _Kira,_ or about Misa, the Second Kira.

But Demetre did reveal he had been following the Kira Case in the various news outlets. So were millions of other people, too.

L didn't reveal who he was, only that he was involved in a highly delicate situation involving various people, one of whom was Misa Amane, which Demetre seemed to believe. And that the kidnapping was staged to ward off fanatics who may wish to harm Misa because of her celebrity status. He lied that someone was stalking her.

In hindsight, it was too easy. But he was always suspicious of people, analyzing everything to see if they were hiding something. Demetre Draycott appeared just as shocked by what L told him as any other innocent bystander on the street, and was unaware of Light's melodious activities.

And Demetre had asked if _he_ was L.

L figured Demetre would wonder. Demetre wasn't dense. In the time L spoke with him, Watari managed to find out Demetre's family history as he chauffeured them around, using a computer in the limo, and it revealed Demetre was the son of an American lawyer in a Japanese firm, his grandmother was Russian, hence his name. His father had no criminal ties and was clean.

Light and Demetre's schooling were nearly identical and both attended similar university classes, some the same. While Light wished to follow in his father's footsteps and join the NPA, Demetre wanted to branch off into another yet unknown avenue of criminal law like his own father.

Of course he said he wasn't L. But Demetre held similar traits to Light and knew a lie when he heard one. He told himself that he would have to keep an eye on Demetre Draycott for _other_ reasons.

But the Kira Case took top priority.

The whole Kira Case had so many unanswered questions and mysteries that his mind couldn't wrap itself around them. The Kira Case was unlike any he had taken on. But it was exciting, he had to admit. If Shinigami were somehow involved, then it would add a whole different element to the order of the universe, that there were different dimensions and realities.

_If Light and Misa are a part of something bigger out there, I want to know about it! I want them to tell be everything they know. If Shinigami do exist, I want to know about theme. And talk with one._

L had released Demetre back onto the To-Oh university campus grounds and then returned back to his hotel. The entire discussion took less than an hour.

So far, Misa hadn't said anything about Shinigami or god's of death, but she did have an unusual devotion to her "boyfriend" Light. How they meant, remained a mystery and apparently even to her. She kept saying something about "love at first sight", but where had they meant? If she had meant Light when they joined forces at one point, and now, for whatever reason, was suffering a weird form of amnesia, that would explain how parts of her memory were missing.

_Could she really not remember she is the Second Kira? How is that possible? Memory doesn't work that way. It's more complex than that. It would take a massive blow to the head to erase such memories and so quickly, and there were no such injuries to Misa when she was brought in._

"He'll come for me," Misa kept saying. "Light will save me from you, you sick _pervert_!"

L actually hoped Light would come to save her, but he wouldn't be that stupid. Any megalomaniac would abandon his partner when captured and deny everything associated with them, and if so, then the investigation was next to dead in the water.

Light and Misa admitted they were in a relationship, but if so, and he was Kira, he would want to avoid Misa at all costs, if she was found out to be involved in anything criminal. For as long as L had Misa, Light was endangered of being exposed.

And yet, if he was in a relationship with Misa, then he was two-timing Kiyomi Takada, whom he saw Light with on campus.

_But that may have been a ploy to try to throw me off suspecting someone else, as at that time, I didn't know anything about Misa Amane. Only when she approached Light, did the associative nature of Kira and the Second Kira joining come to pass. Almost like, Light had to look like he was dating other people, so in secret, he and Misa could engage in their own tryst alone—a death tryst. And yet how Kira kills still eludes me!_

Most serial killers were psychopaths or sociopaths and they cared about themselves. If Misa had said something revealing, Light would have known by now, because he would either be arrested or held for questioning. And/or Misa would be dead.

_And if Light Yagami does have some sort of supernatural power, why is Misa still alive?_

So far, Light had evaded capture.

_But how long would your patience last, Light Yagami? Even psychopath's or sociopath's get nervous. And to eliminate a threat or silence one was beyond incentive to come here and see what I have found. Will you come? I doubt it. Misa is a liability to you. Your best bet is to let her rot. You can't buy this sort of loyalty anymore. I guess 'first love' is a strong as they say.  
_

L plunged a spoon into the chocolate sundae Watari had brought him. He took a scoop and ate it. He continued to watch the monitors spread throughout his hotel room, crouched on a chair. He watched Misa, tied to the gurney.

The task force would be arriving soon after hopefully a restful sleep. He had stayed up all night to watch her, but he still wasn't any further along with the Kira Case than he was yesterday, and it was frustrating.

_To be continued.._.


	21. Light's Decision

Light had been greatly disappointed in Ryuk's world.

When he first imagined the Shinigami Realm, Light thought of it something akin to Hell. Ironic that he would be excited to go to Hell.

But when he saw it, the Shinigami Realm was the saddest thing he had ever seen, like it was designed by some bad science fiction writer who had no imagination.

He was glad he was back in the Human World, returning back through the gateway Ryuk had made with no averse effects. He had been beaten up by the Shinigami known as Killogi, but when he returned, he had no injuries. The injuries must have only remained with his other, ethereal self, seemingly solid in the Shinigami Realm.

"A barren wasteland," Light said, restored to his body. He was again among the living. Ryuk had kept his word. "You took me to see sand dunes and long dead bones of rotting Shinigami."

"You seem unimpressed," Ryuk said. "You saw a world beyond your world."

"Frankly, I was expecting your world to more _lively,_ for lack of a better word. The stigma of death was truly seen, but if I had to exist there, I'd go crazy! I would toss my Death Note to the Human World for some entertainment, too."

"What did you expect? A bunch of ferocious, savage Shinigami roaming the landscape like in that movie with all those dinosaurs? It doesn't work that way. And the fact Killogi paid you any attention at all is proof that you have the Shinigami's attention—what you're doing down here with the Death Note is being watched."

"I'm afraid your brethren see me more as a heel than a saviour. The atmosphere in your world is thick with cynicism. I felt it." Light mentally shivered despite not feeling cold. "Once I save my world, I'll help you bring yours back to life. Call is payback for what you gave me." Light held the Death Note. Then wrapped it in its plastic sleeve and put in a box to bury in a hole at the base of a large tree in the deep woods.

Ryuk cocked his head slightly. "That would be interesting to see," he said. "But I doubt you'd get any help from the Shinigami. Most Shinigami feint interest in pretty much everything."

"They take more joy in living than I thought Shinigami would. This is why I don't regret in being Kira. By eliminating crime, or reducing it to a very small faction, people will start to enjoy living again, stop being afraid of walking down the street. L doesn't understand what I'm doing is for the benefit of all. He only sees black and white."

"He's a detective, most of them do, and murder is evil according to your laws," Ryuk said simply.

Light sneered. "So is doing nothing and letting evil exist. Someone who sits around and complains about the world and doesn't make an effort for change is just as guilty as a person who commits a criminal act! Or, that's how I see it."

Ryuk chuckled.

"What's so funny?"

"Do you plan on killing off two-thirds of the population of your planet with your plan?"

Light's brow furrowed. "Don't be ridiculous! But I get your meaning. I'm only going after the hardened criminals, those who see it's justified to commit such acts, who hurt others for personal gain. The lesser criminals will change their ways by example."

"Some say _Kira_ is _pure evil_ and you're just like the people you punish."

Light was unfazed by the brazen comment. "L sympathizers," he said. "But they'll thank me one day."

Ryuk chuckled again.

"What do you find funny _now_?"

"Think about it Light, you'll never be done. People with your persona are never satisfied."

Light eyed him suspiciously. "Are you finally voicing an opinion on how the Death Note is to be used? Are you saying that what I'm doing is wrong?"

"I'm a god of death, death fills my existence—it's what I am, it's what I do."

It didn't answer Light's question, but he let it slide for the moment. "Answer something for me, Ryuk. Have you killed a human since we made our bond? Shinigami kill to increase their lifespan. I know when Kira makes a kill, it doesn't increase my lifespan, but neither does it do anything for you. Other than the ' _entertainment value_ ' you get watching me, what else is there for you here?"

"An interesting question, I'm not sure," Ryuk said, looking up into the sky. "But what I do in my time is none of your concern." He looked down again. The Shinigami looked directly at him, his eyes aglow. Light gulped, slightly nervous. "But remember, when it is time for you to die, it will fall on me to write your name in my Death Note. And I'll let you in on a little secret, when a Shinigami steals the remainder of a human's lifespan, he also takes the knowledge of what that person would have done in that time. So, your future events, say, what you will do in the next thirty years, will be given to me to review. The universe will re-order itself, so those _future events_ will never happen. But I will still have them to remember."

Light blinked. "Really? That's interesting! So, you can see my future? But only when I'm dead?"

"Killogi did. He could see it before Demetre Draycott entered the fray, but then things went foggy. In the original timeline, per se, your friend never had a Death Note. Geist is from the future, and he gave Demmy a Death Note. So, things that may come to pass, maybe not now, or they could be altered in such a profound way, that your timeline will irreparably change for or against you." Ryuk shrugged. "I'm not sure, but it should be interesting to find out." He chuckled.

Light clenched his teeth. "I should kill him right now!"

"But he hasn't done anything to warrant death and he's not using the Death Note like you are," Ryuk said. "He's only made one kill, a mugger who tried to kill him in an alley which later was attributed to Kira, according to Geist."

Light mused. "So, Misa was telling the truth, and never killed the man. I asked her about it, but she denied it. Young people die from heart attacks all the time these days from recreational drugs and other things. Now I know the truth."

"You killed Demmy's grandfather, you can't resurrect him. Demmy may come for you one day. And he knows everything about the Death Note. In fact, Geist has taught him _everything_ about it, how to use it in ways only Shinigami are allowed to know. There are two sets of rules, one for Shinigami and basic rules Human's to know. The Death Note is vast in its array in how to kill people, and you have discovered just a small fraction of its use on your own. If Demmy knows its deepest secrets, then you seriously have a problem, and maybe a new enemy."

"That's what I'm afraid of, my best friend being my worse enemy. But I'll worry about that later. I have L to content with now. And I need to save Misa, or Rem will kill me. I'm more concerned with what Rem _will do_ than what Demmy _might do_!"

Ryuk laughed. "Your back's against the wall, Light, and I'm curious how you're going to get out of this one."

"So am I." Light packed up the box and then buried it. "Ryuk, I don't want you with me when I go to L. I want to be alone. Kira has powers to kill over a vast distance, and other than a heart attack. I've already established this. What I'm about to do may take everyone by surprise, even my father. I've already established that Kira can make people do his bidding. I'll say: 'I might be Kira', and claim I may have been controlled, or there is a split-personality inside me forcing me to do Kira's bidding, or something of the like. L doesn't know about the Death Note, only that Kira kills by heart attack. L believes Kira is someone who has supernatural powers. Whose to say, Kira can't jump from person to person, and then abandon them when someone gets too close to the truth?"

"You've thought of everything, haven't you? Three steps ahead, eh?"

"Like chess," Light said. "And this is the game L and I are playing. Who will check the other first, and win! I want to convince L that I'm a victim in all this and that Kira has used me for his nefarious purposes, for whatever reason."

"If you somehow pull this off and rescue Misa Amane, then you'll be the greatest actor of all time!"

"Along with being the Japan Junior Tennis Champion, I was a member of an acting club in grade school. And I was pretty good at it, too. I only acted in one play, but I got a standing ovation. Tennis then took up most of my time. There was this strange guy in the club, too. I forget his name, thinking about it just made me wonder what happened to him. I remember I had forgotten my lunch and I had no money, and he shared his with me. He was very friendly, and I suspected he was, well, you know—"

"He liked guys? Oh boy, you attract both the sexes, don't you?" Ryuk chuckled.

Light rolled his eyes. "One of the disadvantages of being good looking, I suppose," he said.

"Why did you quit playing tennis? You were pretty good against L when you played him."

"I just lost interest. I can't explain it. Tennis became boring."

"They say if a person is depressed, they lose interest in things they once liked."

"I don't believe I've ever felt depressed. Well, that's not true. When Dana left, I did fall into a little bit of depression. I still miss her, in fact. But I bounced back. She's been gone for five years now, and I like Takada now."

"Maybe you'll marry her one day, if Misa doesn't kill her first," Ryuk snickered. The Shinigami then mused. "Come to think of it, you sleep a lot, so I used some of that time to dwell into your text books. I'm a fast reader, too. I read one of your psychology books one night, I was curious about how the human mind worked. Did you know, manic depression can create delusions of grandeur, and overtime, it can also cause sociopathic behaviour in people, and can make them do things strange things?"

"I've told you before, Ryuk. I'm not a sociopathic! I know what I'm doing with the Death Note. And my plan to trick L will work. Trust me. You and I may have to say good-bye for a little time, however."

"Only if you give me the code phrase," Ryuk said. "If I recalled it was: ' _Get rid of it'_ , right?"

"Yes," Light said, "and no matter its context, if I say it, I want to relinquish the Death Note."

"Got it." Ryuk chuckled. "Time to see if you're as good an actor as you claim."

Light smirked. "The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist. And I will do the same. The one true Kira may be going away for a little while, but _Kira_ will be back! And with a vengeance!"

"So says the Devil…" Ryuk chuckled.

* * *

That night, Ryuk left Light asleep in his bedroom, and went straight to Demetre Draycott's house a few miles away. He flew there and it only took a few minutes. When he got there, both Geist and Demetre were waiting for him. Ryuk met them in Demetre's bedroom, although without touching Light's Death Note, he couldn't see him at first. But once Ryuk touched Demetre with his Death Note, Demmy could see Ryuk.

"So, turned traitor, Ryuk? Lead your _master_ to the slaughter?" Geist laughed. Little did Ryuk know, Geist had overheard Light's plan, so there was no surprise when Ryuk arrived. He was listening, secretly, in the woods.

"No, it's all a part of his plan to save Misa Amane," Ryuk said straightly.

"So, Light is actually going to turn himself in?" Demetre asked. "All for this stupid woman?"

Ryuk looked at him, his glassy, round eyes bore into Demetre. "Rem didn't give Light an option. But he does wonder if you plan on killing him for murdering your grandfather with the Death Note."

"So, he admits to it?" But Demetre wasn't shocked. "At first, I did plan on killing Light. But that isn't _my way_. Murder is wrong. My _only kill_ with the Death Note was that mugger to save my life, justifiable. The Bible says you have a right to protect yourself."

"That doesn't abstain yourself in using it," Ryuk said. "Once you use the Death Note, the user can never go to Heaven or Hell. That is one of the rules of the Death Note. One of its prime tenants, in fact."

Demetre gave a smirk and a sideways glance to Geist, Geist shared it.

Geist said, "Light can learn from Demetre. Rules can be broken and new rules written. He's smarter than Light Yagami. Demetre has even negated and made the _28 Day Rule_ invalid with some very clever re-wording of the rules, as I told you."

"I didn't know such could do such a thing, interesting," Ryuk said.

"It helps when you have a Shinigami who breaks all the rules," Demetre said smugly.

"When I first met him, I gave Demetre the secret Shinigami Rule Book with a Death Eraser. I know where more are, so I can get another eraser anytime I want. Demetre is _Kira_ , personified!"

Demetre frowned. "Never compare me to that _loser_! Understand me?"

"Light is _Kira_ , Misa Amane is _Second Kira_ , and you're, what an… _Anti Kira_?" Ryuk chuckled. "Light said you don't have the balls to kill, but after he explained a bit more, he figured it may have something to do with your religious upbringing."

"I suppose so," Demmy replied. "But I will not use the Death Note to kill. I'll use it to save people from those who wish others harmed. And yes, I see the irony. The difference is, I have a loftier purpose. Light wants to rule over others, subject the world with fear, so they'll do what he commands. I'm the opposite, I want to save people. And I know _God_ will understand, and _He_ will still welcome me into the _Kingdom of Heaven_ when my time comes."

"How boring, and you're okay with this, Geist?"

"So, you took Light Yagami to the Shinigami Realm, Ryuk. How did he react?" Geist asked. He didn't answer Ryuk's question.  
"You what?" Demetre demanded of Ryuk, snapping his gaze at each Shinigami in turn. He felt betrayed and his eyes glowered with anger. "Geist, why didn't you tell me this?"

"I saw them enter the _Gateway_ —the vortex. But within seconds, they returned, next to no time had passed. What did you show him, Ryuk? And you had a chance to leave Light Yagami to rot! He wrote his own name in the Death Note. He suffered a heart attack. And you used an eraser to bring him back to life. This goes beyond the rules."

Demetre asked, "What's the Shinigami Realm like?"

"It's nothing but a desolate and barren wasteland," Geist answered. "That's why I came through the _Gateway_ , travelled back through time, and now I'm here. Even in the future, my world is rotten!"

"Do you plan on changing Light Yagami's history, Geist?" Ryuk asked. "Why did you come back here? This time period? You could've chosen anywhere?"

"Because Light Yagami interests me, I saw everything he did. But it can change now with Demetre in possession of a Death Note. In my time, the Shinigami Realm is under Marshall Law due to Yagami's illicit use of the Death Note. All visits to the Human World now have to be authorized by Justin, and only for short durations. Kill a human, get their remaining lifespan, and then return. Light Yagami worsened our world. He only made our lives worse! So, I snuck out! Defied the rules, like you."

Ryuk thought for a moment. "Light is planning to turn himself in and he'll probably be imprisoned for a long time under L's watchful eye, and if things get too heated for him, he says he'll relinquish control of the Death Note. Then I'll be free to leave."

Demetre clenched his teeth angrily. "If you go back, I'll kill Light! _I swear it!_ "

"He's still in control of the Death Note, so I have no choice but to stay with him," Ryuk said. "But you said you wouldn't kill your friend, Demetre. Light _did_ want to kill _you_ because you may be a threat, but he chose not to. He is genuinely sorry for what he did to your grandfather."

Demetre rolled his eyes, frustrated. The call he made to Light earlier was a hint that he knew what Light had done, but sorry wasn't enough. He loved his grandfather; his father, not so much. They had a falling out years ago. But that was his father's issue.

_The Bible says to forgive is divine, but not yet,_ he thought. _I wont forgive you yet, Light Yagami._

"Even if he writes my name in his Death Note, he can't kill me," Demetre pointed out. "He doesn't know this, does he?"

"I know, but I won't tell him that." Ryuk chuckled. "You're interesting, Demetre Draycott. You have so much power at your finger tips, but you refuse to let it change you. I witnessed Light's digression. The Death Note changed him." Ryuk then smirked. "But he's had his Death Note for longer. Even the most innocent heart can turn black with hate over time. To have God-like power is sometimes too overwhelming to resist. I wonder how long it will take you to fall?"

Demetre eyed him. "There is only one God. And He is the only one I serve. No one— _NOTHING else!_ Not even a dark and dangerous book like the Death Note!"

* * *

Light cursed Misa in his mind, but he turned himself in for her, walking straight into the hotel, and admitting: " _I might be Kira?_ " and shocking his father. His father told him not to say such a thing, but he lied, and said that he was confused, that he had had been having some very dark thoughts lately, wishing that some people were dead, and all of a sudden they were. He suggested that he may be suffering from a split-personality, because sometimes he blacked out and didn't remember certain events.

L had blind-folded and handcuffed his arms behind his back and escorted him to a secure location, which he figured was close by. Then removed his blindfold and closed him in a ten-by-ten cell with a close-circuit camera pointed directly at him. He had no privacy and he had all his clothes removed and replaced with new ones. The only thing else in the room was a cot and blanket. He figured it was contrast to the white room he was put in, so he could be seen. He even had his socks removed and was barefoot.

So, now he lay on his side, in this white-walled cell with CCTV, and handcuffed.

If the killings stopped, then he was _Kira_. If the killings didn't, he wast _not_. He knew L had him pegged as being _Kira_ , but without any true evidence other than conjecture—for which Light knew was all L had—it would be only a matter of time before both he and Misa were released, and "Kira" would be again hunted by the task force.

Light set things up weeks in advance whereas killings of criminals would continue dying, but how long would L keep him here remained to be seen. He had taken precautions and he was glad he did.

_Rem, I hope you know this is all your fault. They would've let Misa go eventually without any evidence! Once "Kira" starts killing again while Misa and I are within L's sight, it'll prove we are innocent._

"You're in a predicament now, Light," Ryuk said chuckling. "I wish I could've been there when you lied through your teeth to L about the split-personality thing. What a performance, I imagine?"

_Shut-up, Ryuk. You know I can't answer you. L is watching me 24/7 now. I'm uncomfortable, cross, and embarrassed, laying on the floor like some dog. Light smiled to himself, he had his back to the camera. But yes, it was a stellar performance if I do say so myself. I may have freaked out my Dad, but duel-personalities are known to happen even in the most stable of people._

"I wonder how many days you're going to be in here?" Ryuk said. The Shinigami sat in the corner of the room. No one else but Light could see or hear him. "I bet this is going to be so boring! I wish I had an apple."

_Yes, how many days is L going to imprison me? Until I crack? Like some simpleton criminal, interrogated by detectives under a hot, white lamp in a small room, asked to answer the same questions repeatedly, seeing if their story will change? No, L is more crafty than that. He's going to let me sweat for a while and then see if I get tired and incriminate myself. But that won't happen!_

_This is Day One. I must stay strong. But, I must admit, laying on this hard floor in this contorted way is torture for my back._

_To be continued..._


	22. Demetre Imprisoned

Demetre Draycott slowly emerged from an unconscious state and found himself in total abyss. He felt he was laying on a cold floor like marble. His hands were handcuffed behind his back and his legs were bound together. And he was blindfolded.

He felt extremely groggy, but his mind was starting to remember things. One moment he was sleeping in bed, the next, he had something shoved over his mouth and nose like cloth with a sedative, and his last image was of three masked assailants in his bedroom. He had been chloroformed. He recalled vaguely that he was then picked up and carried away.

"Demetre…" Geist asked in a low tone. "Are you awake?"

"Yes," Demetre replied softly. "Where is this place? Who were those men? Did they hurt my parents?"

"No, they didn't harm your parents who were sleeping in their room. The three men only targeted you. It appears we're in an underground lair of sorts. The walls are made of old stone and the floor is stoney grey. The room is empty of amenities. You've been unconscious for over twelve hours."

"Need I have to ask you why you didn't stop them?"

"They had masks on, I couldn't see their faces. If I had intervened, I'd risk exposure and my existence would end if I wrote their names in the Death Note to save you."

"I understand."

A tenant rule of the Shinigami is to not use the Death Note to kill someone who threatens their handler, if so, they will die.

"But that's not to say I haven't watched out for your well-being," Geist said.

"I appreciate that, for what it's worth. Can you free me?"

"No, I can't. And it's strange, in this place I have no physical substance. I'm prevented from touching any solid object like a phantom. My hand waves right through things."

"Where's… _the book_?"

"They took the Death Note from your room last night. When they came, they appeared to know exactly what they were doing, what to look for, and where you hid it, when they came for you."

"You must have seen where they brought me?"

"You are underneath a large mansion in a heavily wooded area just a few miles from Mount Fuji. When we arrived, the three assailants put on goggles so they could see in the dark."

"Night vision goggles," Demetre explained, "so they could transport me without being seen."

"I don't know, even I had trouble seeing," Geist said. "It was darker than black and the sky was—"

"Skip the weather report. Can you describe the room we're in?"

There was a slight pause, then Geist continued. "The room is like a small prison cell. There is a moderate-size metal door immediately to your right and the lightning is very dim. You are blindfolded, you obviously know this, and handcuffed with a long chain attached to the wall behind you. Your legs are bound with a black duct tape at the ankles."

"My trappings I've surmised," Demetre said. "Can you investigate? Find out what's outside this room?" There was another, but longer pause. "What is it?"

"You won't believe this, but there is a strong spiritual barrier that is preventing me from leaving this room," Geist said. "There is a script of an unknown origin written across every wall, even the floor and ceiling, surrounding us. I believe it's written in ancient Latin. I've heard of this before. This is to keep ethereal beings trapped. Someone here knows how to neutralize Shinigami."

"Is that even possible? Strike that. If you exist, anything is! Then the powers of the Death Note is known."

"That would stand to reason. But no one knows about you and I, except for the other Shinigami in the human world. There is only me, Ryuk and Rem, here. You never advertised yourself, not like Kira."

"Unless there are more Shinigami in the human world, others even you don't know about?"

"Impossible! The rules state only three Shinigami are allowed in the human world at any given time!"

Demetre smiled. "If you broke the rules, whose to say others haven't, and have allied themselves with humans of a more insidious nature, similar but more nefarious than Kira?"

"True." Geist seemed annoyed. "But you haven't done anything to warrant kidnapping?"

"Perhaps because Kira and the Second Kira are already in L's hands," Demetre offered. He didn't want to speak Light and Misa's names. And yet, if they knew about Demetre, most likely, they knew about them. "We only know what we know. But our perception of the Death Note could reach broader borders."

"I never saw anything of this in the Orb when I looked into the future at the _Kira Incident_ , this is new."

"Then your presence here and my having the Death Note has changed something in the timeline you saw."

"Interesting…I can't believe you can be so calm."

"Being calm in the face of adversity is the key to defining the line between intelligence and stupidity. There's nothing we can do, so why waste unnecessary energy?"

"You humans confound me sometimes. How can some be so opposite than others of your species? Most humans are neurotic and would panic in this kind of situation. But you act like nothing is wrong."

"Three things: good breeding, experience and common sense," Demetre said. "These are the main personality traits that make up the perfect human being."  
"And you have all three of these special attributes?"

"No human being has all three. But if you are intelligent enough, it fills in the deviation."

"Not all humans are as intelligent as you are," said Geist. "Even Light Yagami is flawed."

"All humans are flawed, Geist. We are made in God's image, but we are not perfect because we have strayed too far from the light, and some more than others. We can only hope to strive back to God's welcome arms one day. As far as intelligence goes, it has taken a backseat to mindless celebrity popularity these days, like in the case of Misa Amane. Stupid, mindless fans, wallow away their existence, hoping to acquire a glimpse of her, and what they find appealing—her stardom. But when it comes to the truly intelligent, people like me and Light, we are never satisfied with the end results of our respected journeys."

"How philosophical of you," Geist said, with a slight chuckle.

"But there's one major difference between Light and I. I'm smarter than Light."

"Ironic, this coming from you, laying blind and bound at the mercy of an unknown, insidious threat."

Demetre opened his mouth to say something, but then sighed annoyed. "Oh, shut up," he said.

After a few moments of silence, Geist spoke up again. "This is so boring!"

"Relax Geist," Demetre said. "All good things come to he who waits."

Suddenly Demetre could hear the sound of beeping, as if someone was entering a code to open an electronic door. His cell door, no doubt. He then heard the door open. The door was metallic and its base scrapped along the floor as it opened, shrieking. He grit his teeth, the decibel sound hurt his ears especially in a place that echoed this much sound. Then he heard footfalls, approaching.

_One person_ , he thought. _My captor or just a lackey to his boss?_

"Who are you?" Demetre demanded. "Why have you done this to me?"

"He's masked," Geist revealed. "And he's carrying your Death Note."

"Shut your Shinigami up!" the man said harshly, and then kicked Demetre in the stomach.

Demetre folded from the impact and cried out in the pain. He coughed, winded. The man had caught him square in the abdomen. It was a hard kick.

Demetre couched, then said, "Did L put you up to this? Is this his way of interrogating people he thinks have a connection to Kira? But you're wrong, I hate Kira just as much as anyone victimized by his murderous ways!"

There was a momentary silence, then Demetre's chin was grabbed, and he was yanked up, forcing him on his knees in a very uncomfortable position, his body twisted like an S.

"And what do you know about L?" the man asked coolly.

Demetre didn't answer. Someone who Demetre suspected was L, Ryuga Hideki, had asked him a lot of questions about Misa Amane and even Kira. But Demetre feinted innocence and fooled L, saying he knew nothing about Kira, only what he heard from TV. But that he was a fan of Misa Misa.

He did admit that he and Light Yagami were childhood friends, but he had nothing to hide about that. If L was the great detective, then he knew that already. Lying would only be moot. It didn't seem to matter, anyhow.

Or did it?

Demetre's torturer obviously feared L, and even Kira—the tone in his voice was obvious. And the reason for the man to wear a mask was now clear. Geist may know the man's name, but he couldn't see his face. Without seeing his face, a tenant of the Death Note rules, the man could not be killed by its supernatural ability.

"Nice try," the man said, then Demetre went flying over and hit the floor. The side of his head bounced and a momentary feeling of dizziness followed. "But it won't work, Shinigami. You're powerless here!"

"What just happened?" Demetre demanded.

"I can't touch the Death Note, I went to grab it," Geist explained to him. "The spiritual barrier in this place prevents me from even touching the Death Note!"

Demetre suddenly laughed, although his head hurt. "You're very stupid!" he said to the man. "Eventually we'll get out of here and Geist will kill you. You've just signed your death warrant!"

"Watch out, Demetre! He's going to kick you again!"

"Enough!" Demetre shouted, his voice echoing like the voice of God in the cell. And no kick came. "You just confirmed a suspicion I have," he said to the man. "Even before Kira arrived to surmount his justice on the world, rumours were circulating on the internet about secret societies like the Free Masons, the Illuminati, even Scientology in America, who contrive personal, political agendas to control governments and associative ventures. And people say Japan has its own secret society, one greater than the gangsters of the Yukaza—the _Savant Society_ , created by an English recluse over a hundred years ago, who moved to Japan and formed a secret society much like a religious cult—Joseph Savant. When Geist mentioned we were near the base of Mount Fuji, that confirmed it. Am I correct?"

The man seemed quiet for a moment. "Rumours and conjecture, nothing more," he said. "Don't believe everything you read on the internet, kid. I'll only confound what you know to be true in your world."

Demetre had compiled a lot of information on secret societies and cults while researching a sociology paper for high school three years ago. From the evidence, he formulated a very believable thesis that got him an excellent mark on his paper. The Savant Society intrigued him the most, but there were only rumours of it existing and he couldn't insert it into his paper. However, one escapee swore the society existed in Japan and was interviewed by an obscure "Lone Gunman" publication that wrote mostly on UFO topics and other conspiracies. The man was later reported missing by the same newspaper.

Demetre recalled the missing man mentioned "gods of death" in his interview.

"The information was obscure, but I think the man who was interviewed in a newspaper publication I read was right—it does exist, the _Savant Society_ , and judging by what I'm told, you can inhibit the powers of Shinigami with some unknown, cosmic force! You can see Geist, so you know about the Death Note, and its powers."

"You know, kid, you talk too much. Sometimes a person can be too smart for their own good."

"On the contrary, it is _you_ that talk too much. By the breaks in your speech and the tone of your voice, they fill in the gaps your words omit. I'm not a psychologist, but I do listen. I listen very closely, in fact. So, tell me why have you brought me here?"

But Demetre didn't get an answer.

" _Demmy, watch out!_ " Geist shouted. "He has a needle in his hand! He just took it out of his pocket!"

But before Demetre could react, the man plugged the needle into the back of his neck. Demetre recoiled as the fluid was injected into a vain. The needle was then yanked out forcefully.

"Damn you!"

It took effect quickly, and he began to fall into another induced unconsciousness, the darkness taking him.

_To be continued..._


	23. Conjecture

Light had only been incarcerated for three days, but already he was starting to feel irritated and annoyed. He wasn't the type of person who could sit still for very long, he always needed to be doing something. There was only so much thinking he could do before he needed to do something physical—like walk.

But L wouldn't let him out of his gilded cage, always watching him day and night. And Light didn't know if L was viewing the CCTV or one of the task force, but someone was always watching him.

_Fine, let them watch me. Kira is still alive and well. I wrote names in the Death Note weeks prior. So, even if I'm here, criminals will continue to die. Then, eventually, you'll have to let me and Misa go. So bask in the your smugness for now, L._

But Light did have contact with someone other than L's disembodied voice. Ryuk was also in the cell, sitting, and talking to him. He was also whining and complaining about how bored he was. And about apples—how much he wanted one. Light wished Ryuk would just shut the hell up! It was bad enough to be stuck here, handcuffed with his arms behind his back, but having a bitchy Shinigami as a cell mate was getting on his nerves!

And Light kept shouting in his head: _Shut the hell up, Ryuk!_ He hoped, just maybe, Ryuk had some ability to read his mind. It was the only thing he regretted making a pact with the Shinigami. _Shut up, Ryuk, just shut the hell up!_

His aspirations of following in his father's footsteps and becoming a cop seemed out of reach as long as he was accused of being Kira or associated with Misa Amane, but he hoped his lie would fool L. But even thinking of her, depressed him. He would still be on top if Misa never come into his life.

But looking back, it had been an amazing year of accomplishments. He had graduated from high school as Valedictorian, recited the Freshman speech at the To-Oh University Entrance Ceremony (albeit with L), and Kira had made a major impact on the world. To date, Kira had eliminated over 500 major criminals, and Light was proud of that.

The only drawback was L. That and now being a prisoner.

But like all things, sacrifices had to be made, even personal ones.

Save a few days, he was coming up on the first anniversary he had picked up the Death Note and used it. He had written down so many names and, hopefully, changed the world for the better.

He could recall everything he had gone through with a smile in his heart. The entire world was becoming a safer place and crime was down seventy percent. Some people criticize Kira for being a fear-monger.

_Be good or Kira will punish you!_

But Kira wasn't like that. He put the fear into criminals and the lack of crime reflected that.

Kira was merely taking back the night, per se. And a lot of people praised him, too. People could now walk down the street late at night and be confident and safe, knowing Kira was watching, protecting them.

_Then why am I being treated like a criminal?_

He also knew people could be frighten of change. And this is what ticked him off the most. For all the hard work he had accomplished, for all the _good_ Kira did, Misa had reversed it all when she began to kill TV celebrities and the like. He did admit killing those twelve FBI agents was wrong. But they were trying to stop his plans of a crime-free utopia, and if they had succeeded, everything would be unravelled. So, he had to do a "necessary evil" to continue Kira's positivity in the world.

People liked to feel secure in their own little life bubbles, living day after day, knowing life will go on as normal, ignorant in the belief that they were in control. Whereas, the truth was more evident, and everyone was a slave to others—whether it be an employer, a parent, or just, in general, to someone else's whims.

The belief in freedom was a ridiculous notion, Light had concluded a long time ago. Laws prevented true freedom to flourish and blossom, and society always dictated social normalcy. No matter what people thought or did, no one was truly free. Freedom of expression, freedom of choice, freedom of religion—all were fantasy. As long as it didn't stand in direct conflict with standard government socialism, people could live unmolested. But when freedom crossed the line set by political agenda, it was removed.

But Kira _was_ that freedom—from tyranny, from crime and illicit camaraderie. And if it wasn't for L and Misa, he would still be laying down the law, hidden behind a veil of secrecy.

When he first picked up the Death Note in his senior year of high school, it read like a joke. Like one of those chain letters that supposedly cursed the person who didn't fulfill its direction. He put it down, then picked it back up, and thought initially there was something wrong with him to even conceive to follow what it said.

He read it, curious of its contents.

_The name of a person written in this book shall die. These were the first words he read._

Forty-seconds after a name was written down without specifying a method of death, they died from a heart attack. But later he learned he could manipulate events in his favour, could control events up to a person's death. And this was proven by the very first person he tried his theory on—a biker who was harassing a pretty girl outside a convenient store, and who would have raped her without his interference. The biker was crushed by an on-coming semi-truck while chasing after the girl when she escaped his grip. Light had no idea that a semi-truck was in the area.

_The girl escapes, the biker (his name) races in pursuit._

The truck was just a convenient happenstance.

He hadn't believed it at first, and the biker was only his second experiment. His first was a man seen on a live news broadcast who was holding a bunch of children hostage at a school, writing his name down from the comfort of his bedroom.

After those two successes, he knew he had found something special.

He questioned himself, the morality of it. Did he have the right to play God? But after seeing the world, and seeing how the police were seemingly powerless against the evil that infested it, the world needed a drastic change!

And through the internet, he became _Kira, the Saviour_. The word Kira meant 'Killer'. He wasn't pleased with the name, but after a while he learned to accept it. The world adopted it for him.

When Ryuk first appeared to him in his bedroom, Light had already filled five pages with names. The Shinigami was impressed. Then struck a bond with Light. And the consequence of using the Death Note: When it came to Light's time to die, it would fall on Ryuk to write Light's name in his Death Note, and then take his remaining lifespan to add to his own.

Light continued to rid humanity of its crime, knowing what he was doing. But he planned on living for a lot time, so he wasn't worried about Ryuk's threat. So what if Ryuk took his remaining lifespan, as long as he changed the world for the better, he would give up everything to achieve his goal, even his own mental state.

That's until L came onto the scene and smoked Kira out with world-wide live TV broadcast using a criminal stand-in pretending to be him. Light killed the impostor, a man by the name Lind L. Taylor. It turned out to be a rouse of immersive propositions, giving L valuable information of Kira's approximate whereabouts—the Kanto Region of Japan. L lied to the world that it was a worldwide broadcast. Kira's first kill was in the Kanto Region, so he started there first.  
Light was furious that he had been baited so easily.

Ever since then, they had been at odds with each other. Then the Kira Task Force was founded and seconded, ironically enough, by Light's father, the NPA's chief of police, lead by L.

Despite that, Light managed to stay one step ahead of L.

That was until Misa and Rem joined the fray.

Not only did she screw up his plans by finding him, but she managed to get captured, forcing him, by threat of death by Rem, her Shinigami, to rescue Misa from L. Which was why he faced his present predication.

The names Light wrote down in the Death Note with a post date stamp would start dying just as he had written them down weeks prior, but until then, he had to wait.

"Why are you writing down so many names in advance?" Ryuk had asked him.

"What if I'm incapacitated, hospitalized or unable to write down names?" Light explained, and this was even before he had even met Misa. "This way criminals will keep dying and I won't be suspected or need to be present."

Hopefully, when this started to happen, it would throw doubt into L's theory that Light was Kira. In truth, L had no physical evidence that Light was Kira.

Kira killed by heart attack. But _how_ was Kira killing? This was most likely the question foremost on L's mind. He was laughing on the inside that it probably drove the great and omnipotent detective crazy trying to figure it out.

But Misa did mention _Shinigami_ in one of her tapes sent to Sakura TV. Did L truly believe a supernatural being was killing criminals and using Light as its puppet? It must have been driving L batty to think so. And to further undermine L's own confidence in the Kira Case, to turn himself in, to claim to be Kira, it would most assuredly confound him even more.

He had told Rem to find a suitable interim to be Kira in Light's absence. How can 'Kira/Light' be killing, if L's two main suspects were locked up, and criminals were still dying?

This was Light's plan. And he was confident it would succeed. Just how long it would take, he didn't know. It was a big risk, but one he really had no choice in making. Or Rem would kill him.

Sitting on his cell floor with his hands handcuffed behind his back, Light scowled.

"How long do you think L is going to keep you here?" Ryuk asked.

Obviously Light couldn't answer. How would he know? If L is the eccentric type that Light believed he was, then it may be weeks, even months—even with criminals dying.

_I may have to do something drastic to prove my innocence and get myself out sooner. The end will justify the means, however. Everything I do will to make a better world. I don't regret anything. I'm smarter than you L, and I'll prove it!_

* * *

L watched Light Yagami via the CCTV as he crouched on a couch in his hotel room. It was the middle of the afternoon. The rest of task force were looking through old files on criminal cases and their connection to Kira for possible motives to why some criminals were dying, while others were not.

The series of TV monitors were hooked into an encrypted computer network, so no hacker could tap in. He knew someone had hacked into the NPA personal network when Kira was killing criminals to get personal information, but no longer.

_If Light is Kira—and the probability is about 70% after his preconceived confession, despite having no physical evidence to the contrary—does he know how to hack into computer systems? With teenagers these days, Light might. But a physical examination of Light's personal home computer showed nothing. Although, Watari did find fragmented files when reviewing data._

Watari had cloned Light's hard drive and was working on restoring the information, but it would take time.

L sighed, slightly frustrated and also depressed with how things were going. He never expected or wanted this to happen. Doing this went against everything L stood for. He caught criminals, he didn't incarcerate them or torture them.

The Kira Case was the most taxing case he had ever undertaken in his entire career. It coincided with another, but on a higher scale: _The Los Angeles BB Murder Case_. But that case was a whole different breed with a different kind of fiend.

Light Yagami was an intelligent young man. If he was Kira, what prompted this sudden sadistic behaviour to kill? It was the sort of question all profilers wondered of serial killers. And there was always a motive. But all the investigators he sent out were killed by Kira and the FBI weren't about to give him more. And the NPA failed to help him, fearing reprisal from Kira.

Nothing in Light's past explained such animosity towards criminals, or nothing his father revealed.

Light had no criminal record. In fact, he was an upstanding Japanese citizen and had helped the NPA on a couple of occasions to catch criminals when all other resources were exhausted. His father had said Light's insightful ideas helped the NPA in new ways in catching an insurance fraudster and a rapist who enjoyed preying on young girls on the internet.

But there was nothing veraciously profiling Light Yagami as Kira, other than time and location placement, and timed admission. But he thought about it, and wondered if Light was covering for someone else? It was a possibility. The real Kira still out there?

Was he being threatened, or was someone threatening his family? And Light was told to take the fall?

L still didn't know how Kira was killing his victims and this irked him.

_It's time to gain a little trust from my prime suspect, he told himself._

L turned to the screen that showed Light, laying on his side with his back to the camera. Was he sleeping? How could anyone sleep in such an uncomfortable position?

He touched a button on a microphone that he had with him on the couch, and said, "Light…Are you awake?"

Light moaned and lightly turned over to look at the camera. He had a difficult time getting from his back to his right side. "Yeah, I'm awake Ryuzaki. Any news? It's been three days."

"Since you've come in and allowed us to incarcerate you, Kira hasn't killed a single person," L said.

Light looked downtrodden. "I see. So this makes me look even more guilty, doesn't it?"

"Not necessarily, it may also make you innocent."

"How so?" Light asked.

"Never mind, I'm just thinking out loud. Would you like to listen to some music? You look stressed."

Light blinked and nodded. "That would be nice, Ryuzaki. I'm kind of bored all by myself in this cell."

"I'll see what I can do. How about something by Johann Sebastian Bach or Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart?"

Light smiled, almost thankful. "I see you know my favourites," he said. "My father must have told you."

"No, I haven't spoken with your father since you were locked up, and your father protested against your incarceration, so he temporarily relieved himself of the Kira Task Force."

Light opened his mouth surprised, then said, "Oh, I would imagine my Dad is quite upset with the whole situation."

"He is in utter disbelief," Ryuzaki said. "He believes you are innocent in being Kira."

Light merely nodded.

Soichiro Yagami insisted in being removed from the investigation. Therefore, he was placed in his own cell and monitored by CCTV like his son. L afforded him every privilege and the freedom to walk out of his cell at any time. L felt sorry for Soichiro Yagami who believed whole-heartedly that Light was innocent and had been shocked when Light arrived at the hotel days ago and proclaimed that he "might be Kira" vicariously through an undiagnosed split-personality disorder. But L didn't buy it. There was no doubt of Light Yagami being Kira. Only his method of killing was in question.

Soichiro Yagami had recently suffered a heart attack which was stress-related, but he had been instrumental in collecting the Second Kira's tapes from Sakura TV. He still needed recovery time from his heart attack, but he insisted in helping L. Mainly because he wanted to clear his son.

L ended the conversion with a click to his microphone control box, but he continued to stare at Light a few moments. Light's eyes looked calm, but there was a hidden insidious behind them. Was he being controlled by "Kira" in some unknown fashion, like Misa Amane had been—who was now acting completely innocent?

_If so, then why? Why Light Yagami and Misa Amane? Misa claims that Light is her boyfriend, but she can't remember how they met. Light claims it's simply her infatuation and he just started going out with her because she was a movie star. Lucky him…_

Demetre Draycott, Light's best friend, seemed to share this sentiment, as Light's girlfriends numbered quite a lot despite him being a "nerd", an intellectual. And as such, could all this be an act? If so, then it was a very good one!

_But how long can you keep it up, Light? I'll keep you here until you brake, Kira. Mark my words, I will obtain evidence of your actions and this so-called Shinigami, if it exists?_

He received a message from Watari. L pressed a button on a near-by computer and his mentor's W icon appeared on the screen. "Yes, Watari…Do you have any news about Light's computer?"

"It's clean, as far as I can see," Watari's voice came through a speaker. "Too clean, in my opinion. In all hard drives, there is at least some residual trace of maliciousness. Evidence in viewing adult sites, that sort of thing. Nothing like that, however. What I did find were school assignments, study notes, visits to an occasional website called _Kira Underground_ —news, web forums, and games. And pictures. He did have access to a home network, but nothing contrived to hacking."

"You looked at Soichiro Yagami's computer when you placed cameras in the Yagami home some weeks back, did you find any evidence of illegal hacking into his personal files? Say, personal law enforcement information?"

"No, but if Light Yagami is as clever as he seems and with the ability a lot of teenagers have these days, he could have wiped all trace evidence of his actions before I could find out. But I cannot be positive."

"Thank you, Watari. Even without finding physical evidence, you have given me plenty to work with." L looked at Light on the TV monitor, he continued to looked up at the camera probably wondering when the music will start. "Like I suspected earlier, Light Yagami is hiding something, and I intend to find out what it is, if it's the last thing I do! No one is this perfect. That website _Kira Underground_ is a good start, even if it was only for curiosity, it could give me some information I'm missing."

After a few minutes, he finally piped in a suitable selection of music into Light's cell. But it was neither Johann Sebastian Bach or Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. L had decided to choose another composer. It was Ludwig Van Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 14 in C-Sharp Minor, Op.27, No.2-Moonlight. It was soft and soothing.

And when L looked at the CCTV screen, he saw Light smile and mouth, "Thank you…"

L smiled to himself. As the music played, Light's eye lids started to look sheepish, like the music was lulling him to sleep. It was said music soothed the savage beast.

Then he had an idea. If Light wouldn't talk of his own violation, then perhaps something else would need to be done.

L didn't necessarily believe in hypnotism in conjunction with music, but it had its successes. He would think about it.

* * *

Sayu Yagami sat at the dining room table with her math homework, and she was frustrated. "Mom, I need help with my homework. When is Light coming home?"

Sachiko Yagami came out from the kitchen with a tee towel in hand, drying her hands. "I'm sorry dear, but Light and your father are on training exercises," she said. "It's to help Light qualify for the police academy sooner. Your brother is very eager to join the NPA. Your father explained this and collected clothes for themselves for a few days at least. But he said they may be longer."

Sayu sighed, nodding. "But why now? Light's a genius a math!"

"I know, Sayu. I miss them, too. But I'm afraid you'll have to do your own math exercises for while."

Sayu groaned in silent protest.

_To be continued..._


	24. The Savant Society - Part 1

Demetre felt light-headed when he finally regained consciousness from a forcefully induced chemical slumber by a mystery-masked man who worked for the Savant Society. He had been injected with a sedative in the back of the neck took quick to avoid. But at least, he was no longer handcuffed or subdued. He was now free of his retrains and free to move about his cell.

His initial thought was correct, coupled with Geist's description of its interior dimensions. He had made a mental map with Geist's help. It was a standard ten by ten cell with an iron door, not unlike an old prison cell envisioned in the eighteenth-century novel The Man In The Iron Mask by Alexandre Dumas. But this cell had marble flooring and dim lighting that hurt his eyes, there was also a CCTV camera beside the door pointed at him.

He rubbed his wrists and ankles where the handcuffs and duct tape had been. They had kidnapped him in the middle of the night and brought him here, he recalled vaguely. His parents must be worried. Or maybe not? He often left for university early in the morning and came home late at late, so he rarely got to see his parents nowadays. So, would they really miss him for a few days?

His clothes were folded neatly in the corner of the room, a pair of white trousers and a dark long-sleeve V-neck shirt. He had been wearing only his jockey underwear in bed when they nabbed him. He was thankful that they had not stolen his chain and crucifix around his neck. He said a silent prayer thanking God for his safety, kissing the cross. Then he dressed.

Light thought Demetre's faith in God was delusional. A mass delusion by millions of Christians around the world of a false deity that hid from His followers and offered no proof of existence. Light pretty much thought all religion was foolhardy. But Demetre believed Light was the fool, believing he was, now, a god with the Death Note.

_There is no other God but the Redeemer_ , Demetre solemnly believed.

Once in high school, in Sociology Class, Light debated there was no God. Light requested to debate Demetre because of his undying faith, obviously wanting to prove his superior, logical intelligence. Demetre knew scripture forwards and backwards and knew he'd out-debate Light with historical facts and the very Word of God, but he declined.

Instead, another student debated Light, and was thoroughly trashed, unprepared. He didn't have a chance.

"Religion has a historic value, the world is amass with symbolic imagery of splendour and riches of godly wonder," Light had said, "but the notion of God or the idea of gods is nothing but simple imagination to explain the unknown by simplistic minds without logical thought. There is no evidence that such a being or beings exist or have ever existed in the span of Mankind or in the realm of true reality within human perception. The idea of _Faith_ is just that and nothing more."

Light had won the debate easily by stating concise arguments against the other student's thesis' with facts and presenting articles and books of interest. He delivered his points without allowing personal opinion to cloud the issues. On that day, he showed he was a master debater, or rather a master manipulator. It wasn't what he said, but how he said it. And he received an A for it.

But Light had always been the pragmatist, evaluating all things by logic. Nothing was ever conjecture. And nothing at face value. And he had had never been a spiritual person. However, he never denied Demetre's faith, even though he didn't agree with it. He respected at least that. Therefore, Light and Demetre agreed to disagree. Ironic how now that Light believed he _was a god_ with the Death Note, with the power of life and death at his finger tips.

_But there is no other God, and Light fails in comparison to any type of like-mind being. The Almighty, the Redeemer; the Alpha and the Omega; the Father of All, and the holy trinity of existence—so say Amen!_

And speaking of a "god"…

Demetre looked around his cell. "Geist? Where are you?" But the Shinigami didn't answer. "Geist!"

A sharp beep sounded. Someone had activated the electronic lock on the door to his cell. It opened, and an individual dressed in a long dark robe and hood masking their face stood at the threshold. This person was Demetre's height, approximately 5'11. But whether it was a male or a female, he couldn't tell.  
"Who are you?" Demetre demanded.

The individual merely turned and walked away keeping the door open.

Demetre took the opportunity to leave his cell and saw the dark robe stranger walking down a long non-descriptive corridor. At a junction, the person stopped, turned, and then gestured to the right, as if wanting him to follow.

Wanting answers, he did, and the individual lead him to a set of double doors carved of oak hinged with iron. The doors were tall, reaching to the ceiling and were exceptionally wide. The individual reached for one of two iron ring door handles and pulled the door open revealing a spacious room.

Demetre was lead inside and was greeted to an aghast sight. It was an altar room of sorts with a large rectangular stone marble altar at its centre, surrounded by a low thin ring of fire. The fire appeared self-sustaining, remaining at a low height, around a suitable circumference from the altar. The room was lit by torch light, giving it a medieval feel.

The floor was made of white marble and on the walls were several tall long banners with symbols of both current and ancient civilizations, all of which he recognized. One of the banners branded the Swastika, the symbol of Nazi Germany from the Second World War, first adopted by the Nazi Party in 1920. Most people associate the Swastika with hatred and bloodshed and Adolf Hitler, but very few people knew the real truth behind it—that is was originally a peace symbol from the Indus Valley Civilization that resided between 3300-1300 BCE, located in now modern-day Pakistan and northwest India.

All in all, there were nearly twenty banners covering the walls. All dark blood-red in colour with symbols in black, reciting cultures from the dawn of civilization to the modern mega powers of the East/West.

The spacious room was a perfect circle and completely enclosed, the double doors were the only way in or out, and other than the ring of fire and torch light, there was no other light; no electronics controlled them, either.

Shadows danced like spectres along the walls of this _Altar Room_ , he came to think of it. Vents and fans situated in strategic places allowed for airflow to rid smoke from the interior. The room was warm, but had a certain coldness Demetre couldn't explain. Perhaps it was the atmosphere of it all that was sending an eerie chill down his spine.

He looked at the dark robed stranger as the individual stood close to the ring of fire cast in shadow.

Was this his torturer from before? Was he now masking his entire body and not just his face? No, something about this stranger was more timid, and the other was taller. This person was shorter. In fact, the robe followed the figure of a woman now that he looked closer.

"I can tell you're analyzing the situation, Demetre," a female voice said. "You always had way about you when you were faced with the unknown."

Demetre narrowed his gaze.

_That voice... No, it couldn't be..._

Instead of speaking his immediate thought, he stayed analytical and silent, then asked, "Would you care to explain why I'm here, and what this place is?"  
The stranger pulled back her hood to reveal the face of a beautifully striking woman with long flowing, light-auburn hair. She had sparkling blue eyes and a trim neck.

A large grin broadened Demetre's face and for a moment her presence made him speechless.

"Dana Chika," he said with a smile. "The moment you spoke, I knew it was you."

It was the girl he had secretly loved while she was dating Light Yagami in their freshmen year in high school. And the same girl who had mysteriously disappeared leaving Light to wonder why. In fact, leaving everyone to wonder why. That was five years ago.

She smiled back. "How are you, Demmy?" With a hand, she whisked back her hair out from under the hood and it fell to her shoulders. "It's been a long time."

"Too long," he said. "You disappeared without a trace five years ago. No one knew where you'd gone. Light was furious, then sad for a long time. I had to console him. He thought you dumped him. You two were an engaging couple."

"It couldn't be helped. And it was not my decision. How is Light?"

Demetre frowned. _Light Yagami, Kira_. "As well as he could be, being the mass murderer that he is."

Dana frowned. "I know. We have been following his exploits."

Demetre didn't have to ask what Dana meant by "We"; _The Savant Society_. They had most likely been watching Light Yagami carefully. A multitude of questions raced through his mind about this Society, one of which was why Dana was here. But he wanted clarification—first thing first: "I still didn't have a concise answer. Where Am I?"

"You and Light are similar, Demetre. You treat every experience as if it's a term paper. You both have calculative minds. First conjecture, then a thesis, then you formulate are more thorough line of thinking, add in factual information, and then a solid conclusion—you've both been like this ever since I've known you. I bet you have a lot of questions."

Demetre folded his arms across his chest. "The foremost has yet to be answered," he said, a little annoyed. He was glad to see her, but he was upset that she had just up and left without a word.

"Why are being so cold to me?"

"Answer my question first."

"Very well," Dana said with a sigh. "We are under the Savant Mansion, an old converted monastery built centuries ago, at the base of Mount Fuji. The monastery is surrounded by a large, well-guarded compound with its own police force like the Vatican in Rome, self-sufficient. The monastery is the only thing above ground, the rest is housed within a subterranean city with additional living quarters and is home to many Shinigami and their Death Note owners."

Demetre blinked surprised. He wanted to ask about the many Shinigami that resided at the monastery. The rule book stated that only three were allowed in the Human World at one time. But he allowed Dana to continue.

"And you guessed correct, about the Society. Joseph Savant launched the Savant Society over a hundred years ago. Now his followers and their Shinigami live in harmony. There are some disagreements, but they are settled quickly in duels. You have been watched ever since you picked up the Death Note that Geist dropped. You were brought here to join the Society, because you, unlike Kira, value life, and have only killed once to save your own life. This is a trait the Society looks for in choosing their members."

"A simple invitation would have been sufficient. Instead your Society drugged and dragged me from my bed in the middle of the night, handcuffed and blindfolded me, and then set upon me an enforcer in my cell. A man who also brutally beat me and kicked me, and drugged again, stripping me half-naked. You have a strange way of sending an invitation. And you wonder why I'm a little cold to you? Where is Geist? What have you done with him?"

"He's undergoing the initiation into the Savant Society," Dana explained. "as you will, if you choose to become a member. Geist was quite excited to become apart of us. If you don't wish to be, then your bond with Geist will be annulled and you will lose all memory of the Death Note, and be returned home."

Demetre lowered his arms. "And who says I want to leave?" And gave a thin smile. "I missed you Dana."

Dana ran quickly, closing the distance between them, hugged him, and kissed him passionately on the lips. He was a little taken aback, but he didn't resist her assertiveness. He had always dreamed of kissing her. But she had been Light's girlfriend and he had had to put his personal feelings aside for their friendship. He closed his eyes and allowed her lips to touch, all inhabitation gone.

When she parted from him, he let out a big breath. She didn't apologize for her boldness.

"To be honest, Demetre, I liked you better than Light Yagami," she said. "Light was good looking, smart, and had a mediocre sense of humour. But he was also egotistical and arrogant. He thought he was better than everyone else, even though he never said it. Yet his body language showed it. You, on the other hand, were fun to be around and had a wonderful sense of humour; you never allowed your intelligence to root who society dictated you to be. And, you were sexier than Light. You still are." She blushed, Demetre smiled. "I knew you had feelings for me, I could see it in your eyes when Light and I were together. Don't think I didn't notice. I wanted to be with you, but I didn't want your friendship to be put in jeopardy. You and Light have been friends, since childhood, and I didn't want to come between you."

Demetre's eyes suddenly became cold. "Not any longer," he said with resentment. "Kira/Light murdered by grandfather with the Death Note. I want revenge, but not to kill him. I wish to teach him a valuable lesson, one he'll never forget, and just maybe, Light will repent his ways, and walk away from the Death Note. And if you review my Death Note, I stopped short of killing him. I am a man of God, Dana. I do not kill out of revenge. Only God can judge the truly wicked. And Light Yagami fits that bill."

She smiled. "It's not a test, Demetre. And we already know what you've written down in the Death Note. And about your little trick. Quite clever how you managed it on your own. You correctly devised a way to be protected from any person who has a Death Note. Not only did you write your name down in your own Death Note, you cancelled out its effects simultaneously; clever, and precisely one of an allotment of reasons the Savant Society want you as a member."

"It was one of the many things I adapted from reading the _Death Note Rule Book_ Geist provided me, the _Shinigami Version_."

Demetre cleared his throat. "If a name is written down in two or more Death Note's within 0.05 seconds of each other, then both entries cancel each other out—that's if the names are written down on two separate Death Notes or two separate pages of the same Death Note, creating two separate entries. If you cross out a name with two straight lines, it effectively cancels the entry, but also cross out the other entry, and it effectively puts a death on hold, then the name remains active but also cancelled at the same time in both entries. But that's the 'Human User Version', the _Shinigami Version_ is much more elaborate, and I used wordplay to cancel out my entry while keeping it active at the same time, effectively shielding myself from a Death Note. It was risky, but it's past the twenty-three days—the 23 Day Rule—so I know it's worked. I'm still alive."

"Unless someone uses a Death Eraser and rubs it out of the Death Note," Dana said.

"Quite true. It effectively makes the Death Note my own personal death warrant." He shrugged, then said, "I have more few questions, if you don't mind."

"What would you like to know?" Dana said with a smile. "I've been authorized to answer any question you have. Call me the Society's official liaison."

_To be continued..._


	25. The Savant Society - Part 2

Demetre was about to say something, when Dana suddenly reached into her robe and pulled out his Death Note, as if anticipating what he was about to ask.

She handed it to him. He knew it was his because it was black with gold leaflets around the words Death Note on the front cover. Geist had explained most Death Notes, expect for a few, were academic in design. And this was no exception. Some were more elaborate, but only the upper echelon of Shinigami had those books.

Demetre accepted it. Geist had said one of the most difficult things for Death Note owners was finding a good hiding place for the book when it was not in use. Demetre remembered hiding it in his closet underneath some comic books. He figured no one would find it. Apparently he had been incorrect.

_Are there hidden cameras in my room? No, either myself or Geist would have found them._

Then he thought about the camera on his laptop, and how rumour had got around online that the cameras could be hacked without the computer owner knowing, watching a person as they used it. Geist had told him his kidnappers knew exactly where to find the Death Note and his closest was in direct sight of his laptop on his desk in his bedroom.

_That's one curious question solved, if that's how they spied on me to learn the Death Note's location._

With this realization, he suddenly became irksome. His left eye twitched, he could feel the sudden pressure behind his eyeball. It was a reflex condition, one he had had since childhood when he got angry—like a _tell_ in a poker game.

"I value my privacy, Dana," he said coldly, unconsciously squeezing the Death Note in his hand. "So, how long have the Savant Society been watching me? The camera in my laptop, I assume. Did they get good pictures of me while changing? Will I find my backside, or frontal region, plastered all over the internet one day if I don't cooperate?"

"Demetre, it wasn't like that," she said regretfully. "The Society keeps tabs on everyone who has a Death Note. There are a lot more people out there with Death Note's than you think. The _Three Shinigami Rule_ , the rule that states only three Shinigami are allowed to roam the Human World at any given time, no longer applies and has been redundant for quite some time. There are dozens of Shinigami in the Human World right now. The Society began to watch Geist closely when he started to defy Shinigami Law, revealing to you every rule; Shinigami have no obligation to tell their handlers how to use the Death Note."  
Demetre produced a thin smile. "Then it's a good thing my Shinigami went rogue, because Geist has helped me a lot."

"Believe me, you're not alone. Everyone here has access to the _Shinigami Version Rule Book_ like you. There are no secrets between Shinigami and their handlers here. In fact, there is no chain that binds them. Each Shinigami has freely joined to work with a human, and it mutually benefits the Society as a whole."  
Demetre lifted his brow interestingly.

"But there are elements out there that risk everything the Society has established, all the aims and friendships the Society has made with the Shinigami and our respected worlds. You'll learn about them soon enough. Light Yagami and Misa Amane must be held accountable for their actions with the Death Note. They are destabilizing the natural order of things. Every person they murder with the Death Note, 'crashes the universe', our experts say. The universe then has to reorder itself. Light Yagami and Misa Amane do not know how much damage they are truly causing with their selfish acts! We've been monitoring them, but as of right now, both of whom have disappeared."

"I believe I can answer that: L has them. I already witnessed L's agents kidnap Misa Amane, and Light…" He stopped himself. _How much did Geist tell them of future events?_ "Well, if I were Light, I would find a way to convince L of my innocence in being Kira. If Misa is being accused of being the _Second Kira_ and Light is the original _Kira_ …the smart thing to do is to face his accuser head-on and see what evidence L has. Then ascertain his options and move accordingly."

Dana looked at him strangely, then smirked. "We know about the Portable Orb, too, as you and Geist call it. How much of future events have you seen, Demetre?"

"All of it, or at the very least, most of what _will_ occur," he said straightly.

"Well, the timeline has changed since Geist's arrival, so what you've seen, may not come to pass," she explained. "The Society's experts have also seen future events, and they are quite different from what you and Geist have seen, what Geist described to them. He was debriefed, as you will be—if you choose to join us. And I hope you do."

Demetre clutched his chain and then kissed the crucifix, and said a prayer under his breath. It was a prayer to give him strength. All this was a bit overwhelming and he needed to settle his mind. He always put his trust in God in situations like this, and God never let him down. He breathed easy after the prayer.

"What did you mutter to yourself?" Dana asked.

"I asked God for patience and forgiveness. Only He is omnipotent and omniscient. I accidentally changed what was not mine to change, I reordered His universe when I bonded with Geist. Killing that man in the alley, even though it saved my life, obviously altered future events, as I was never supposed to be in possession of a Death Note, according to the original timeline of the Kira Incident, as shown to me."

"What happened to you, Demetre? When I knew you, you were never this fanatically religious."

"There is an immense difference between fanatical devotion and faith, Dana. I have now stepped onto holy ground, into God's domain in being here, in possessing a Death Note—the power of life and death—even though the Shinigami are of their own divinity and dimension. The Shinigami may be _god's of death_ , but God _is_ God. He is the Redeemer and Creator of all things. But, in being a part of the Savant Society, I will be as helpful as I can. But I will also continue God's work as one of _His_ children."

"Very well," she said, seemingly a little taken back. "As the Society's liaison, the Council has requested that _you_ locate Light Yagami and observe his actions, in anticipation that you decided to join us. You are his best friend, he trusts you. Although, that little stunt of yours with the burner phone has come back to hunt you. They took that and have destroyed it. But the Society managed to hack your phone through the burner phone. You failed to protect the burned phone with an encryption protocol."

Demetre signed angry with himself. He never thought of that, because he never anticipated anyone knew about it.

"The Society has been monitoring your phone, and they know about Bryant Harvey, the renown thief and killer, and how you have been keeping alive with your genius Death Note trick. His name— _his real name_ —is written in the very back of your Death Note. You've been texting him and calling him under a pseudonym. But why?"

Demetre smirked. "A little experiment I devised, and so far it's working beautifully," he said.

"Care to explain why? If you're a 'Man of God', Demmy, like you claim, then why are your harbouring a thief/killer? Doesn't that go against your moral code?"

"I give him free-reign to do what he wishes, but I don't tell him to do what he does. And much like a bond between a Shinigami and a human, when I choose it's time for him to die, I'll make it happen. You see, even though you see his name in my Death Note, you see nothing else. Another trick I picked up. You can use any instruction to write with in the Death Note, but it doesn't have to be normally thought of as something used for writing like a pen or pencil. It can be anything, as long as it makes an impression in the Death Note—anything will work."

"That's devious," she said.

"I'm a quick study. And while Bryant Harvey has killed people in the past, he has not done so under my watch. He kills/robs of his own violation. He has been dubbed 'The Ferret' by the media, because he can get in-and-out of any situation, donning disguises, steals, and breaks into places without a person ever knowing. That's what interests me about him. He and I have an understanding now, and he cannot be killed unless I say so. He can be brash in his escapades, as if he believes he is superhuman, but he is under my control, and he accepts that. As long as he can do what wants, he doesn't care—like most psychopaths."

"Does Bryan Harvey believe you are Kira?"

Demetre was silent for a moment.

"Oh my god, Demmy? Why?"

Demetre shrugged. "It works in my favour, so I'm borrowing Kira's influence for my own purposes. But don't get me wrong, he is a horrible person and he will get his just-desserts in the end. He was once known as a modern day Robin Hood, stealing from greedy corporations like banks and other fanatical institutions. I'm merely using him for a greater good."

"While innocent people suffer? That's not very Christian of you," she chided. "You're very religious, Demmy. What would God think of you in doing this?"

Demetre scowled. He knew she was right, but there was a purpose in holding Bryant Harvey under his thumb. And besides, since his real name wasn't known to anyone, expect to him, and now to whomever read his Death Note, no one, including Light, could touch him. He had been using the name Bryant Harvey before Demetre heard of him, but thanks to Geist, who could see his real name with his Shinigami Eyes, Demetre was able to contact Harvey using his own methods, and made a deal with the thief/killer. He would allow him to continue his exploits, and he would not be killed, as long as he would do favours for him when asked.

"As a member of the Savant Society, this will have to stop. The Council has declared it!"

"What is this _Council_?"

"You'll meet them later," said Dana. "But basically, they oversee the Savant Society's activities and relations with the Shinigami. And they insisted that you be brought here. Unfortunately, someone took liberties, drugging and incarcerating you like a prisoner. He'll be reprimanded. His name is Zurn Wellington, and he is the Savant Society's main enforcer. He's also a detective in the NPA, and has a Shinigami named Prometheus."

"Ah, so he was my so-called masked warden. There's always a psychopath in every group."

A moment of silence paused. Standing there, their eyes glittered and reflected from the ring of fire that surrounded the altar. Demetre still didn't know what the altar was for, but he knew, eventually, he'd learn its purpose. It wasn't important right now.

"I've missed you very much," Dana said.

"You have no idea how much I've missed you, Dana. Light still yearns for you despite expressing an aura of hatred whenever he hears your name. You hurt him, and I counselled his depression."

"But I hope that's all in the past, Demmy?" Dana took his hand and placed it to her heart. "Come, the Council have assigned quarters to you foreseeing you would accept their offer. You must be tired."

"Frankly, with all the time I've spent unconscious, I'm not tried in the slightest."

Dana smiled. "Then perhaps we can find something else for you/us to do until morning."

Demetre's brow arched, and he smiled.

Taking his hand, Dana escorted him out of the room, and then to the upper living quarters of the mansion. Here, they entered his assigned quarters at the end of a carpeted corridor—the room's decor was regal, splendid. But getting familiar with it and its furnishes would wait.

And as far, as he would concerned, the rest of the world, including the Death Note world…would wait.

They closed the door behind themselves, and then embraced.

_To be continued..._


	26. Demetre Breaks Society Law

Demetre slowly awoke. Without opening his eyes, he recalled what happened and a smile beamed on his young, boyish face.

He blinked twice, turned his head right, but cringed as the sun cast its brilliant rays through the large window adjacent from the bed where he slept. It was breaking dawn and the sun had just risen above the horizon, but he knew he hadn't been asleep long. It wasn't until early in the morning when he finally dozed off.

He looked at Dana who was sleeping soundly next to him to his left. She was so beautiful. Her hair was tasseled, but to him she never lost an ounce of beauty no matter how she looked. He loved her deeply.

Gently easing himself out of bed so he wouldn't disturb her, he stood up and stretched his arms above his head, yawned. The sun was beyond brilliant as it bled warmth into the room. He had never witnessed such energy. It almost seemed it shine just for him, to welcome the new destiny he had decided to undertake last night.

He had agreed to join the Savant Society, a group of individuals who oversaw and supervised proper usage of the Death Note in the Human World. It all seemed surreal, but after Dana explained it to him, he finally realized the universe was a much bigger place with facets of parallel universes and other dimensions he had never truly conceived.

And it excited him.

He had been assigned quarters in the Savant Mansion, an old, converted monastery, for which the Savant \Society resided. The only question now was what was next? Dana said the Council, for which he would meet soon, wanted him to locate Light Yagami and Misa Amane, who had suddenly disappeared. He knew where they were, but how to get to them was the issue.

_If I were you, Light, I'd play to your strengths—a habitual lair—and fake a duel-personality disorder, claim you were under Kira's influence, killing all those people. It would be the simplest thing to achieve to trick L, and to get close to him._

He had seen the future in Geist's _Portable Orb_ , but now with him owning a Death Note, the timeline—the _Kira Incident_ , as Geist put it—had changed. But what changes would it bring?

The Savant Society was one. Neither he nor Geist saw the Society in the future they saw.

Demetre rubbed his chin, thinking, as he gazed out the window, at the lush, and vast property the Savant Mansion owned. The Mansion was surrounded by forest, but how many acres did it possess?

He would have to revisit the _Portable Orb_ , to see what has changed in the timeline. His presence here, and as an owner of a Death Note, was new. He knew what he saw, but what had changed since last be looked into the Orb?

Geist said he had travelled through time to alter certain events in his present—saying the _Kira Incident_ had caused so much strife in the Shinigami Realm. The Shinigami King had evoked Marshall Law and demanded all Shinigami literally clock in and out whenever they visit the Human World. Light and Ryuk had seemingly caused a lot of damage.

Even years after Light's death in the other timeline, it had started what would later be known as the _Kira Revolution_ , where devoted followers rose up against the world's many political institutions, and demanded Kira be released, thinking he had been imprisoned, was not dead, when the world once again fell back into its decayed and corrupt ways.

"Human nudity is so repulsive! But your body is better maintained than some I've seen."

Demetre turned sharply in response to Geist's comment. The Shinigami's voice was harsh and gravelly.

Demetre gave himself a once over.

Indeed, he had no clothes on after slipping out of bed. But he had no qualms about his nakedness. And he didn't consider himself repulsive, far from it. He had the body type of an Olympic gymnast—tight, tone and muscular. It was part genetics and hard work, exercising daily, eating right, and staying level headed and confident. With all this working for him, he had everything he needed for perfect health. He was one of the good looking humans. It wasn't vanity, he just took care of himself.

He looked back to Dana. Geist's voice had not awakened her.

She had touched Demetre's Death Note, so she would be able to see and hear the Shinigami. And he wondered just how many other members of the Savant Society had touched his Death Note. Most likely a great deal if Geist was now initiated into its ranks.

He looked back to Geist and put a finger to his lips to hush the Shinigami. Slipping on his Jockey shorts, he gestured Geist out of the bedroom and to a large lounge-seating area beyond. He softly shut the bedroom door.

Demetre crossed over to an kitchenette and made a quick cup of tea with a kettle, then casually sat down in one of the two couches in the middle of the room facing opposite each other, he sipped his cup. Near him was an old style brick fireplace and a large flat screen TV on a mantle. The entire place was designed very regally and plush for a person of well-standing. The members of the Savant Society knew how to impress their guests and new members.

"So, where have you been? Out exploring?"

"In a sense," Geist said cryptically, standing in his usual hunched matter opposite Demetre. "And busy. This place has so many things to keep a Shinigami like me entertained."

Demetre sipped his tea again, licking his lips. "How so? And doing what?"

But before Geist answered, the Shinigami pointed, startled, at something moving on the opposite end of the couch next to where Demetre sat. Demetre looked in the direction and saw a pillow moving, or rather morphing. It turned into a light tan brown small Pomeranian dog with a puffy face. The Pomeranian breed of dog came from the north-west region of Poland, where they were eventually socialized into normal society. It let out a small yipe of a bark.

"What the hell is that?" Geist demanded.

"A dog, obviously," Demetre said, taking another sip of tea, unperturbed by its sudden appearance or ability.

"You know what I mean! And dogs don't have anamorphic abilities!"

"Meet Cerberus. But don't let his timid appearance fool you, he's quite a powerful Shinigami, from what Dana tells me. He's also the Mansion's protector, if you understand the meaning of its name. Dana introduced him to me last night, he was waiting in my quarters when we got here and welcomed us. I had the same reaction you had. I didn't know what to think until Dana explained it. Some Shinigami can alter their shape, they can even mimic human beings with enough practise."

Demetre put his tea down on a side table and gestured with pat to his knee for Cerberus to come to him. The dog hopped and bounced happily much like an excited animal of its nature, leaping into his lap. He pet it, rubbed behind its ears. Cerberus liked it and one of its legs twitched in glee. Demetre chuckled.

"I hate dogs!" Geist said.

Demetre looked at him cocked-eye, said, "Any particular reason, Geist? I think they're cute. I wish I had a dog when I was a boy. I had a black cat and it wasn't friendly. It escaped one night and never came back. I think the cat knew I didn't like it. Every boy should have a dog, they're very intelligent creatures. They also teach responsibly, give friendship, and undying loyalty, if you treat it right. Dogs are the first true bonding a boy has to another creature other than his parents or siblings."

"I just do! They smell, they're noisy, and they leave little things everywhere!" Geist frowned. "When I first arrived in the human world, I stepped in something soft and brown one dog left on the sidewalk."

Demetre chuckled. "Unlike Shinigami, every creature alive has to exhort waste," he said. "Okay then, if you dislike dogs so much, then how about a Winged Dragon (miniature version)."

Cerberus suddenly morphed into a miniature Winged Dragon, taking liberty in appearance, on Demetre's cue. Cerberus was now the size of Demetre's hand, comical looking for such a powerful looking creature of fantasy lore. Cerberus then burped out a small puff of fire and flapped his wings and squawked.

Demetre withheld a chuckle.

"How amusing," the Shinigami said drily, "and I would imagine it can change into anything."

Cerberus then altered his appearance and changed into an assortment of amusing creatures and all miniature, which only added to their comedic value: an Australian Wallaby, a Peruvian Cockatoo, even a Madagascan Ring-tailed Lemur. And then Cerberus morphed into a beautiful, black-haired, normal-sized naked woman, as if the sheer idea would be amusing. She, then blew an kiss to Demetre. Demetre blushed, crossed his legs.

It then reverted back into a small Pomeranian dog, jumped back on his lap.

"So what is it? I've never seen such a creature before," Geist said.

"A curious oddity," Demetre said. "From what Dana told me, Cerberus a hybrid-Shinigami, a cross between a Shinigami and anamorphic creature from a different realm, I don't know the full details yet."

"That's a Shinigami?" Geist shook his head in disbelief.

"Jealous? I'm told you may possess the same shape-changing ability, as well, but if you don't know, then you can be taught."

"Wait," Geist said, putting a boney hand to his chin. "Now that I recall, there are legends even in our realm of anamorphic creatures that lived in our world when it was lush and vibrant before _The Great Death Note War_ , in a time when our world wasn't rotten. It was so long ago, even before the Shinigami King came to rule."

A sudden question came to Demetre's mind. "Hey Geist, what defines the appearance of a Shinigami?"

"There is no definition," Geist explained. "They are chosen by the Shinigami King, and our existence is defined by what we do, or have done in our past. But our memory is wiped from the past to begin anew."

"Human beings are similar. Only after we have died, do the accomplishments or lack of, truly define how we have lived. And this is how we are defined. I suspect all Shinigami were something, or rather something else, at one point, before becoming a 'god of death'. It's a theory I've been playing around with."

"Arguments have been made to that very point by our scholars, but most Shinigami don't care. They only concern themselves with the present."

"I think that is a poor attitude, because history is what defines humanity as a species. I would imagine the Shinigami are defined by a similar history, and the Shinigami King must know what came before."

"He probably does, but we Shinigami prefer not to dwell on history. And we don't question his wisdom."

"Which is code for you're afraid of him, isn't it? It's the hallmark of all tacticians," Demetre said matter-of-factly. He reached for his tea cup and took a sip, then put it back. "Fear is a great motivator. It works in the Human World, too. And it's exactly the tactic Light uses to bring down world crime. Put fear into the minds of people and they question doing bad things. However, it also restrictions their god-given freedoms, which I think is malice."

"So, what do you plan on doing about Light Yagami? You know where he is, with L, and if the timeline is correct, he will or has already lost all his memories of the Death Note by relinquishing ownership."

"We don't know if he has or hasn't, the timeline has changed. As soon as we came into the fray, things were altered; Dana told me. What we saw, some or none in the _Portable Orb_ may not come to pass. We can't know for sure. But as far as the Savant Society goes, we are both experiencing something new."  
"I agree, and it's exciting," Geist said. "I will be further entertained with this turn of events."

"Indeed…"

Demetre stood up and went to the kitchenette and thought about pouring another cup of tea, but then decided against it and emptied out what little was in his cup in the sink. He felt completely awake now after the tea and any more would wire him up too much. He prided himself on keeping a healthy body and not relaying on chemical stimulates to give him energy.

Instead, he decided to do some stretches while Dana slept, to wake his muscles.

"If Light and Ryuk are together at the moment, then I can travel to him and learn Light's fate," Geist said.

"Light's fate?" Demetre said, folding his right arm across his chest, clamping it with the other to stretch. "Whatever fate befalls Light in the coming days, we know what may happen to him anyway. We'll wait and see what L does. L is focused on Light, that leaves me to continue my plans."

"You mean with Bryant Harvey? How long are you going to string that criminal along?"

"Until my plan comes to fruition. Besides, I'll release him from the Death Note's control after I'm done with him, and I won't even have kill him, thanks to the _Shinigami Version Rule Book_. I know Light has probably been wondering why he can't kill him. I'm testing the limits of the Death Note, as Light has been, experimenting on how many ways he can kill criminals."

"You're using Bryant Harvey brilliantly and even though his name is in the Death Note, you won't kill him. You found a way to manipulate him using the Death Note, keeping him alive much like how you're using the Death Note to protect yourself. You convinced him you're Kira, too. You're unlike any human I have ever come across or observed, quite clever."

"That's what makes me different and smarter than Light. If he thinks three steps ahead, I think four." Demetre stretched his other arm. "And besides, Light has never beaten me in chess, it always ends in a draw."

"If it comes down to you and Light, I wonder who will win? How exciting!"

"Yes, indeed," Demetre said. "But remember, I wrote his name down in the Death Note, excluding two letters, so if I choose to kill him, I can do it with the whisk of a pen. And maybe I will, someday…by God's command, only!" He put his arms straight up in the air and stretched his back. "In the meantime, I have a job for you, Geist."

Demetre spent the next couple of minutes discussing this job with Geist, then the Shinigami vanished. Cerberus also vanished, as if hearing his bonded master's voice calling him, unheard by Demetre.

Demetre finished his stretching exercises and was about to return to the bedroom, when all of a sudden, Dana came to him in a housecoat. She yawned.  
Demetre smiled. "Good morning!" he said cheerfully. "How did you sleep? Would you like a cup a tea?"

"If I recall, neither of us got much sleep last night." She smiled. "And yes, I would love a cup of tea."

Demetre retrieved a new tea cup from a cabinet above the sink basin and poured her a cup, then he poured himself a second cup even though he had cut himself off a few minutes before. But he didn't want her to drink alone.

They sat down on the couch together. She sipped her cup and smiled. It was green tea, with a tinge of other flavouring. His own personal blend. Over the years, he had experimented with different tea blends and had a vast array of receipts.

Dana approved.

"Sorry that I'm a little underdressed," Demetre said.

"I'm not wearing much either," she said smiling. "Where's Geist? I thought I heard his voice out here."

"I sent him out on an errand. If I'm to become Light Yagami's watchdog, I need to know where he is. So, I sent Geist out to contact Ryuk and find out if indeed L has both Light and Misa Amane in hand."

"That's good, because the Society is a little concerned with both their disappearances. The future is uncertain at the moment with you and Geist here."

"So, you're saying my having a Death Note is an unknown factor, that I'm a wild card in these events?"

She took another sip of tea. "I think so? The original timeline of events had only Light Yagami and Misa Amane at this stage of the Kira Incident. And so the Society prepared accordingly. Nothing substantial is supposed to happen for a while."

Demetre nodded. He understood Dana when she said at this stage of the _Kira Incident_.

"I'll try not to screw things up too much," he said with a joking smile.

Dana smiled too.

They leaned in to kiss, when suddenly the door to Demetre's quarters burst open with a strong kick from an intruder, and two men came running in. Demetre tried to fend them off, but they were quick, and one punched him hard in the stomach taking him to his knees, while the other one held Dana back. The first man then held Demetre down by a single meaty hand on his shoulder.

The leader then emerged and walked in, he wore a dark suit and a white tie.

"Zurn!" Dana said. "What's the meaning of this?"

"Good morning, Dana," Zurn Wellington said with a sinister smile. He lifted his brow, as if to fake surprise. "Tsk, tsk, my dear," he then said with a shameful shake of his head. "You know the rules, we all know the rules. And yet you blatantly defied them last night. Don't think you weren't watched when you welcomed our guest, and in the Altar Room, one of our most sacred rooms, too. This won't go over with the Council."

"What's the meaning of this?" Dana demanded again.

Zurn said, "Being a liaison of the Society, you of all people should know better. Fraternization with other Society members, in this sort, is a strict violation of the rules. You know this, and yet you blatantly disregard the law. Therefore, under the power for which I have been deemed, you will be subsequently punished for your actions."

"No!" Demetre protested. "It wasn't her fault! I instigated everything!" Demetre tried to get to his feet, but the other held him down by implementing a very strong pushdown. "I wasn't aware of the rules. It was my fault. I love Dana, I've always loved her, and not seeing her for five years" —he looked at her— "I couldn't help myself."

Zurn's brow rose again. "So, are you stating, for the official record, that you forced yourself upon Dana Chika? Forced her to engage in sexual intercourse against her will?"

Dana appeared to open her mouth to deny it, but Demetre shook his head to silence her, and said, "Yes! I forced myself on her! I'm to blame! Punish me! She's innocent! She never had a chance to fill me in on all the rules of the Savant Society." He eyed Zurn with serious look. "If you want to take action against a rule breaker, then do it to me!"

Zurn gave Dana a sideways glance, Demetre saw the look. He knew Zurn couldn't touch her that he admitted to, unfortunately, raping Dana—which was not true.

"Very well. Then I shall." Zurn snapped his fingers and the other who held Dana released her, but forced her to sit on the couch, while Zurn grabbed Demetre with the other who held Demetre down. "Take him to the Obedience Room. I'll dish out his punishment, personally. I am the Savant Society's main enforcer, the protector of everything that is sacred within its realm. And I will see that order maintains. This, I hereby swear, by the Creator."

Zurn stood in the room, watched, as the two others dragged Demetre out. They dragged Demetre through the door forcefully and without mercy. Zurn saw Dana open her mouth as if to protest, but then he held up a finger to silence her.

Dana didn't say a word.

Zurn then left.

_To be continued..._


	27. Light Loses The Power

Light Yagami sat as miserable as anyone could feel in a jail cell who had just lost his freedom, everything taken away.

His clothes felt like sandpiper against his sensitive skin and he felt like he was developing a rash. He was a person of refinement and wore clothes to suit. But he had basically wore the same clothes for a week now and with his natural body sweat, the odours were beginning to irritate his nose. He never realized how bad the human body could smell in such an enclosed environment.

L had allowed him certain liberties, like using the toilet while not being handcuffed, but he was still watched, at every angle (that was humiliating), and an hour of observed exercise, to stretch his muscles, even periods of listening to music. But other than that, Light had no other liberties or human contact. Not even with his father.

It was Day Seven of his voluntary confinement in a secluded cell of L's choosing with CCTV watching his every move, and he sat on the floor like some common criminal handcuffed with ankle bracelets. He had very little to no manoeuvrability. The only thing he still did have working for him was his acute mind, and throughout his captivity, with every god-awful day that passed, he thought of ways he was going to murder L when all this was over.

He got little sleep. And with Ryuk in the cell with him talking constantly to pass the time, bitching about wanting apples, Light wished the Shinigami would just Go away! And there were times when Light just wanted to shout out at him and be damned about what L heard. But if he did that, L would question it and wonder if Light was breaking. L would have the upper hand if that happened. Light didn't want to give L the satisfaction of seeing him crack under the pressure.

Not from the pressure L was putting him under, but from how annoying the Shinigami was being.

He had thought it over, and it was about that time for it to happen. All he had to do was pick his moment.

He recalled the discussion he had with Ryuk in the forest just before he buried the Death Note, and his visit to the Shinigami Realm— _What a desolate wasteland_.

He had told Ryuk, no matter the context, whenever Light said the words: " _Get rid of it_ ", it meant, he wanted to relinquish ownership of the Death Note. Light knew he would lose all knowledge of it, Shinigami, and Ryuk's realm, but he felt he had no other choice. He just hoped Rem had found a suitable suitor to take Kira's place temporarily.

And after a reasonable amount of time, as this other person kills in the name of Kira, he would regain his memories and kill this imposter, hopefully. But that would depend on how things went. He also came to the realization that he may never get the power back. That would be a shame, but if Ryuk wanted to be entertained, he would return to him, nonetheless, even with this other as the owner of the Death Note, and the new Kira. As long as a scrap of the Death Note was held, he could retain his memories, but it would have to be touching his skin for its remembrance to retain.

With his memories gone, the killings continuing, this would confound L, and eventually both he and Misa would be released, and knowing himself, he would want to be on the Kira Task Force to hunt down Kira. That was just the sort of person he was. And hopefully, if luck was on his side, he would find a way to reclaim the Death Note and restore all his memories permanently.

This was his plan. Whether it would work in his favour was up to his own clever cunningness and opportunity.

Ryuk was doing some sort of twisted dance in the corner of the room, and Light saw it out of the corner of his eye; he was still bitching about apples. Apples, Ryuk had explained, like heroin to humans, were like drugs to Shinigami, and highly addictive. And Ryuk was showing all the signs of going into withdraw.

Light seriously thought of relinquishing the Death Note just to… _get rid of_ HIM!

There was a momentary click and Light knew it was the speaker attached to the side of the wall in his cell. L was about to talk to him. But he didn't look at the camera, he didn't feel like saying anything. He just stared through the jail bars in front of him. On the other side of the bars was a door leading out to a hall. This is where the task force came from when they brought his meals.

But as he was blindfolded when he was lead to this makeshift jail cell, he didn't know where he was.

"Light, it's been a week now," L started to say. "Are you all right?"

_No, I'm not all right! I'm stuck here in this god-awful cell, with an annoying supernatural being, being subjected to horrors and treatment only a common criminal would experience, and under direst. If thoughts and looks could kill, you'd already be dead! If only Ryuk would just kill you, all would be right!_

This was it, the opportunity he was waiting for. Light stared at the jail bars, it gave him focus. Thanks in whole to L and Misa, he was about to lose everything—knowledge of the Death Note, and the influence and power to judge over the world with it. He hoped Rem chose his temporary successor wisely.

"Yeah…I know I must look pretty bad in here with this foolish pride…" He took a mental deep breath and avoided looking at Ryuk. "I guess I'll just have to… _get rid of it_."

Ryuk gasped shocked. His little twisting withdraw dance stopped. His head half-cocked around.

Ryuk was upside down. The Shinigami sounded like he was in utter shock to hear those words. But Light didn't look to him to see his reaction. L already suspected a supernatural coercion with _Kira's_ killings. Looking at Ryuk would only give L fuel for the fire, knowing the CCTV would catch any reaction. And L would play it over and over again, and ask why…

"You sure, Light?" But Light didn't answer, Ryuk knew he couldn't answer. He had told Ryuk whatever the context, once those words were spoken, their association would come to an end. "Okey-dokey!" Ryuk got to his feet, his withdraw symptoms suddenly gone. "See ya later…"

And Ryuk transmuted through the wall of the jail cell like the spiritual entity that he was.

Light sat there still, he could do nothing else. But he did give a sideways passing glimpse at the Shinigami from the corner of his eye, he hadn't realized it until he had done it. Ryuk disappeared through the wall, and Light suddenly fell an emptiness in him, as if he was losing a friend, like a friend who didn't care about abandoning another to save their own skin.

He didn't know what to expect next with Ryuk gone…

The world he knew suddenly vanished.

* * *

Light blinked, then again. He suddenly felt like his eyes were open to a new truth. He looked around at the jail cell. He remembered what he had said to L, what he told L, but he didn't believe it anymore. And suddenly it was like the world had changed, like he was looking through a different lens. Awakened. And from a nightmare, but from one he couldn't recall.

The realization of what he had proposed to Ryuzaki—or L—that he was Kira, and to incarcerate him until L was assured that he wasn't _Kira_ was ludicrous! For the life of him, he didn't know why he had done it. It was like he had suddenly _forgot_ himself.

He was not Kira!

_What am I doing here?_

He sharply looked at the CCTV camera pointed at him from beyond the jail bars. "Ryuzaki…" he said. "It's true that I suggested that you confine me, and I chose this for myself, but I just realized that this is pointless! That's because… _I'm not Kira!_ " He stared at the camera. "Let me out of here!"

There was silence, but Light could swear he heard whispered gasps from members of the task force through the speaker.

"I can't do that," L's voice came through the speaker. "I promised you I wouldn't let you out until I determined whether or not you are Kira. That was also what you wanted."

_I said that? Now I remember…_ "I did say that, but… Something was wrong with me! Do you really think that Kira could do such things without being conscious of them? I don't know what kind of power Kira has, but he definitely exists, and has committed these acts by his own free will! I have no conscious thought of such acts, so I can't be Kira!"

L appeared to be contemplating Light's words with another moment of silence. "I believe Kira had complete awareness of his actions," L said. Then L's words became cold and harsh. "Everything still fits, even if you claim not to be Kira. The killings stopped immediately after you were confined. I believe you are merely hiding the fact you are Kira!"

Light felt his heart pound in his chest and he felt sweat drip down his temples from his thick, brown hair. He needed a haircut, strains were getting in his eyes.

"Ryuzaki, listen carefully…I swear I'm not lying… _I'm not Kira_! I was framed! I can think clearly now, and that has to be it."

"Framed?"

Light felt his words were not getting through to L. He was speaking the god-honest truth, but L was a person of fact, and the fact was, everything pointed to him being Kira. But Light knew he was not.

"Listen, Light. The only people who know you are being confined here are the ones in this room with me, the Kira Task Force, and your father. Listen carefully, the killings stopped as soon as you were locked up."

"Then somebody there is Kira! I'll help you investigate. Let me out!" _Did I just accuse someone of the task force of being Kira? I know I'm not! So someone on the inside must be Kira! This is not like me, I don't panic easily._ "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to accuse anyone there. Hurry and let me out. We're wasting time!"

"No, I cannot let you out."

L's words were firm and cold. Light looked at the CCTV camera. _L believe's I'm Kira without a doubt._ He dropped his head and felt like crying. "Damn it! Why is this happening?"

There was a click. Silence. L had shut off the speaker, most likely to converse with the rest of the task force members in private. They were probably going over all the evidence.

_They all believe I'm Kira. My fate is sealed if left to them. But I'm not Kira! I know this without a doubt. Dad, where are you? Why don't_ you _believe me? Save me, Dad._

_To be continued..._


	28. Demetre Tortured

Sweat and blood glistened down Demetre's naked back. And his hair was completely saturated after an hour of torture. He hissed between clenched teeth as another snap of a leather whip cracked across his back, ripping flesh.

But he did not cry out, he _refused_ to cry out. He refused to give into his tormentor. His skin felt like it was on fire with every strike and he felt rivers of blood run down, pooling on the floor beneath him. His hands were bound and shackled to the ceiling with a chain, his ankles shackled, anchored to the floor. His face and body were bruised and bloodied by multiple punches.

This was the _Obedience Room_ , his tormentor called it.

It was the second time he had been subdued since being brought to the Savant Society. The first time was in his cell, when his masked tormentor handcuffed and kicked him in the stomach. The same man as now, the Society's enforcer— _Zurn Wellington!_

Zurn Wellington had burst into his quarters as he and Dana were sitting, talking, minding their own business, after a night of love making. It was supposed to be a safe place. Then he was manhandled, and two thugs, at Zurn's command dragged Demetre away—stating their night of coitus was against Society's policy of: _No Sexual Fraternization With Other Society Members._ Dana had neglected to inform him of the rule, but in her defence, their passion that night was a long awaiting tryst years in the making.

But Demetre didn't care. He loved Dana. And he would defy Society law again to be with her!

Instead of Dana taking the punishment for the discretion, he lied, and proclaimed he had forced himself on her, which was basically sexual assault. That was against the law anywhere, so the punishment was fitting, according to Zurn. It was a far worse crime than simple fraternization with another member. But Demetre was willing to accept punishment for it.

The place was dark and dusky with only the dimmest of illumination. He couldn't see clearly through the fog of sweat in his eyes, but there were objects in the room that looked like they belonged in a Medieval torture chamber, including items belonging to a person with an over-abundant sexual appetite. And they appeared to be Zurn's own personal property. Devices of the adult trade. And Zurn threatened to use some of them on him to make him submit. The old pleasure and pain tactic.

Zurn was shirtless, and he was quite muscular, Demetre observed. In his right hand, he was holding a black fibre whip. Zurn had struck him repeatedly with it and took perverse pleasure each time, laughing with every strike. He was a sadistic maniac.

The brute grinned with large white teeth, but he was also breathing heavy. He was expending a lot of energy snapping the whip.

Demetre moaned, his head dropping momentarily. He didn't cry out, but every muscle in his body screamed with agony. And at times, he felt like he was going to faint. But he refused to give Zurn the satisfaction of victory. He was prepared to fight him, because if he relented, then Zurn would go after Dana. If Zurn wanted someone to torture, then it would be Demmy.

_I will protect Dana, I will protect her from you, you sadist!_

He wondered if Geist were here, would the Shinigami help him? The answer would probably be no.

Geist wouldn't write Zurn's name in the Death Note because he would die. To kill someone with the Death Note to save their handler was an instant death sentence for a Shinigami. But Geist _could_ help in other ways. However, would that than disqualify him from joining the Savant Society? He could always get another handler now, knowing others would be willing to accept him.

Demetre lifted his head back up and glared at his tormenter with hateful eyes. Killing Zurn would be fruitless, but he knew he could get back at the monster in other ways. This torture session was merely a means to an end, a bully telling the new guy in class to obey him. Chained and shackled, Demetre had little choice but to adhere to Zurn's sadistic whims. But with all bullies, giving in was never an option. The only thing to do was to fight back.

Zurn grabbed Demetre's chin, held it tight. "How does it feel, kid? Was a night of blissful ecstasy worth all this pain? Maybe I should turn you into a eunuch to teach you a lesson to keep it in your pants, using one of my lovely toys here. Or, maybe you'd enjoy it? Let me hear you scream, and I'll stop. If not, then the pain will escalate." Zurn grinned broadly, chuckled. "There is pain, and then there is _pain_ , Demetre Draycott. And I know how to deliver it!"

"When you care for someone, love is not a crime," Demetre said defiantly. "My pain is nothing compared to what my Lord Jesus Christ suffered at the hands of those bastard Romans. So do your worse, _Roman scum_!"

Zurn frowned, then said, "You are far from Jesus Christ, Draycott. I see no comparison to this punishment and being nailed to the cross. However, that could be arranged…" Zurn went over to a wall and took off a poker with a leather handle. Demetre gulped. It was the kind of tool that could be heated up to brand a victim, or just poke into flesh. Then Zurn suddenly stopped, looked at it admirably. "No, this, I will save for later." He licked it, maniacally, and put it back.

"Maybe I'll even use it on Dana, when she gets out of line. Or something else? I bet she would love something more smooth and hard, better than that you could provide."

"You son-of-a bitch! Don't you touch her!"

A sudden burst of adrenaline gave him enough strength to yank violently at the chains and lash out at Zurn, causing a ruckus. But he couldn't do much, restrained securely. Zurn laughed, out of any potential reach.

He barely saw it coming, nor could he stop it.

Zurn delivered a hard punch to his solar-plexus and just below the pectoral musculature with a closed-end fist. Mouth opened, breath exhaled, the shock of the punch left Demmy frozen to the spot—all his strength gone.

Zurn laughed again at the futility of Demmy's struggle. Zurn was sadistic and methodical. He knew the most strategic places to strike for maximum wounding effect. As a member of the NPA, police officers were trained how to take down an offender with the lest amount of force. But in Zurn's case, he took pleasure in causing pain.

His chin clutched again, Zurn pulled Demetre's head up straight.

Demetre recovered, but he felt light-headed, his eyes drooped. The pain from the punch was agony. He wanted to sleep. But he screamed at himself inside his head. " _Stay awake! Stay awake! For Dana!_ "

Zurn smirked. "I bet you wish you had your Death Note, eh? So you could write my name down? Sorry, boy, I, too, am protected. Every member of the Savant Society is safe from being harmed by a Death Note. So, your little trick is not so original after all. Your little variation was unique, however. Nonetheless, you can't touch me."

He spit in Zurn's face. Zurn recoiled.

"Go to hell!" Demetre scoffed.

Zurn wiped his face, looked at his hand, and laughed. "Further defiance will only elevate the pain, boy." He took a finger and caressed it across an open wound on Demetre's chest that had been caused by the whip. Then he pressed hard, his nail entering raw flesh, cutting jaggedly.

Demetre clenched his teeth, the pain was excoriating. Tears fell from his eyes.

And suddenly, he couldn't take it any longer, and let out an agonizing scream which reverberated inside the room.

"That's what I want to hear, kid," Zurn said, taking a step back. He licked his finger of blood and tissue. "The sound of your screams is music to my ears. You're not the only one I've punished here, but you are the _only one_ that has lasted this long. Be this a lesson to you. It wasn't my decision to accept you into the Society. But by my decree, you will adhere to its laws!"

Tears filled Demetre's angry eyes and he swore profusely.

Zurn cradled the crucifix that was still hanging from around Demetre's neck. "There is no God, only Shinigami! You believe in a lie, kid. I should rip this off you and toss it away, but I'll let you keep it as a reminder of your failure to understand the truth."

Demetre growled. "Faith is more than just seeing with one's eyes!"

"That's true, but seeing is believing. You can have all the faith you want, but your god won't save you." Again, Demetre swore, and Zurn laughed, taking a step back, letting the chain and crucifix hang. "Prove to me your faith. Quote me some scripture."

"No words of such grace will be wasted on a piece of shit like you!"

Zurn smiled. "Very good, you're already learning," he said with a self-given satisfaction. "There may be hope for you yet. The Savant Society has welcomed many children into its heartfelt bosom and our youngest member is only eight years old. Some have come here, but have not been welcomed, and eventually, they're forgotten, and have suffered accidents. We can't have someone finding out about us, the world wouldn't be able to handle the concept of _gods of death_ in the Human World."

"Eight years old? You mean there's an eight your old kid with a Death Note and a Shinigami living _here_?"

"Correct. And you'll met him soon enough. Coincidentally, he's only made one kill with his Death Note, like you. Oh, your little trick with Bryant Harvey was clever, and now the rest of us know about it. We subsequently erased his name from your Death Note, but apparently, he's being protected by someone else now. But it doesn't matter. Bryant Harvey is nothing to us."

Demetre grit his teeth in anger. So, Bryant Harvey was no longer his to control. His plan to use him at a later date, just like saving a surprise, was now gone. With Harvey's skills, if he ever got into trouble, he hoped to use him to get him out. A favour he would ask of Harvey—for keeping him alive—manipulating him into thinking he was Kira.

_Or, does God not want me to keep Harvey after the talk I had with Dana? Maybe this is God's plan? God works in mysterious ways. Just like me possessing a Death Note, but having no inkling to kill with it—to save people instead. Harvey was a piece-of-shit anyway. I am one of God's children, Dana was right—why protect a serial killer and thief for personal gain?_

_Thank you, Lord, for taking that burden off my shoulders._

He looked at Zurn. "Why hasn't this eight year old made any other kills? If he is a member of the Savant Society, then he knows what the Death Note is for. Has his Shinigami got bored with him?"

"Cerberus is quite content," Zurn said informationally. "And with his anamorphic ability, it enjoys a mischievous existence, wandering the Mansion as its unofficial protector—much like the legend held by the ancient Greeks at the Gates of Hades, as you are very much aware. His handler is a special case, however. Much like a pet, they have a special bond. When he joined us, the boy already possessed a Death Note and the Shinigami had been with him for years—pretty much near birth."

"That's incredible," Demetre said in awe.

_So, if this child obtained a Death Note at a young age, and bonded with Cerberus, whom I've already met—Dana never told me who Cerberus belonged to when we encountered him in my quarters—then there are no age limits to owning a Death Note. I don't know why I even thought there were, but now I know there are not. And the child had the fortitude not kill, unlike a certain someone else I know who killed with a child-like sense of justice. Light Yagami could learn from this kid!_

Zurn shrugged. "I don't care really," he said.

Zurn turned to leave, wrapping the whip around an arm.

_Obviously, my torture session is over for the time being. I screamed, so that gave Zurn what he wanted._

Zurn looked bored now, there was nothing to keep him.

Demmy remained shackled, obviously he was going to be left here until Zurn decided to release him.

He turned to look at Zurn as he began to walk away, twisting his chains. "Get back here! _I'm_ not done with _you_ yet! You're a sick and twisted man, Zurn, you know that? There's a special place in Hell for people like you!"

Zurn laughed, turned back. "You mean like us. Remember, you used the Death Note, too. _Thou shalt not kill_. Isn't that one of your sacred _Ten Commandments_ —that _your_ faith believe in so passionately? Even the most devoted Christian breaks them daily and they don't even know it. The Sabbath is quickly becoming a faded memory, theft and murder is abound, like your former bond with Bryant Harvey—you protected a killer from Kira. And engaging in such licentious behaviour with Dana Chika, isn't that reminiscent to the story of Sodom and Gomorrah in the Bible?" He chuckled under his breath. "You'll soon awaken to the true realities of the world for which the Savant Society adheres to. Or, you'll die, like all those that came before you."

"Dana and I have known each other for many years, we expressed something special. That is not breaking God's law!"

"You're a hypocrite. Now that you have joined the Savant Society, you are subjected to a _higher standard_ than 'God's Law', and you are _forbidden_ to engage in any such activity with other members of the Society. This is my only warning to you."

"Give me a Society Rule Book, I'll read it."

Zurn smiled thin. "That's more like it, you're submitting to me already. However, are you saying Dana Chika was neglectful in advising you of the rule you are admitting to have broken? Are you changing your story? Are you saying Dana willfully and conveniently didn't tell you of this rule so you two could engage in sex?"

Demetre looked to the floor, remained silent. If he said that, then Dana would be punished. "No, I forced myself upon her, knowing fully of the rule; she _did_ tell me," he lied. He looked away. "I am to blame. Dana is innocent. I made her do it."

"Say if for the record," Zurn said, pointing at a camera in the upper far corner.

Demetre didn't know one was there. Had it caught the entire torture session? A tiny red light suddenly switched on, controlled by a remote device that Zurn now had. No, the torture session had not been recorded, but his confession was about to be.

"I want to hear the words from your mouth, loud and clear," Zurn demanded. "The Council will see this, and then they will make a final decision whether to accept you or not. Your punishment given is within the realms of my authority. I've been given _carte blanche_ to see to any law-breakers. So, what they see here—what I will show them—is by _their_ decree."

Demetre looked straight at the camera. It was hidden in a corner in the room. He had not see it before, because it in a darkened area, which was probably the point. "To the Council of the Savant Society, my name is Demetre Draycott," he began. "Dana Chika is completely innocent of all charges put forth by Zurn Wellington and I take full responsibility. She did advise me of the said rule before I took sexual advantage of her, but I strictly disregarded it. I forced myself upon her. I am to blame _fully_."

He wanted to say that he loved her, that he had missed her, that they were old schoolmates—the history they shared—but then that would indicate she willfully broke the rules with him when they had sex for 'old time sake'. That would get her in trouble, and he wanted her clear her of any wrong-doing. So, he ended it at that, and lowered his head in defeat.

Zurn nodded, switched off the camera. "Accepted. The Council will review your confession and deliberate on whether you are to be accepted into the Savant Society, and whether or not you will be stripped of your Death Note based on the evidence. But judging by everything you said, and what is known, I highly doubt you will be with us for long."

Demetre opened his mouth to say something. He didn't want to lose ownership of the Death Note, he still had get Light Yagami back for the death of his grandfather. But instead, he remained silent for Dana's sake. The battle between him and Light was his battle alone. If things took a turn, if revenge was not his to deliver, then he would leave it up to God. God knew best.

Zurn walked away, and then shut the Obedience Room door, leaving Demetre shackled.

_Oh Heavenly Father, please help this withered, tired soul. Please grant this follower the strength to make it through this hardened time. Like your son, who ascended unto Heaven, please save me from this hell I have been cast into._

All of a sudden, the Obedience Room door opened again. He turned, and hoped to God Zurn had not returned. But standing at the threshold was someone else, someone whom he never thought he would see. And he began to tear up.

Dana Chika ran over to him, and wrapped her arms around him. He hurt from the hug, but the moment she embraced him, he felt as if the spirit of God had wrapped itself around him—as if God had answered his prayers.

"Oh, Demetre, I'm so sorry," she said sympathetically, and then kissed him on the lips.

He didn't stop her.

_To be continued..._


	29. Light Vs L, Q and A

Sleep came in spurts for Light and not very long. His body was stiff and he was very uncomfortable in his cell. It had been three days since his sudden "awakening" as he called it. The moment when he realized everything he had suggested to prove his innocence that he was not Kira was pointless. Staying locked up like some caged animal was pointless!

L still would not release him despite his countless pleas. He was at the point when he sounded more like a whinny child than a person trying to hone his innocence. It was the worse feeling in the world accused of being, or being associated with, the world's worse mass murderer of all time!

He had tried sleeping on the cot, and on the floor, sleeping on his side and on his stomach, but neither helped cure his insomnia-like symptoms, nor was any position comfortable. If he had a mirror, he knew he would probably look like L with baggy eyes.

As he sat on the floor with his arms handcuffed behind his back, he felt the most depressed he had ever felt, even more so when Dana Chika left him without a word. And if it wasn't for his best friend Demetre Draycott, he would never have broken free of that depression and started to move on. But, at moments, he felt saddened. He still loved Dana, and he knew that he always would. A heart always aches for a first love.

He could feel L watching him and it unnerved him.

Light felt grubby and dirty. He had been wearing the same dark clothes for over a week now with few washes in between, but not an actual shower or bath, and they were beginning to smell very rank with perspiration and body odour. They were his prison clothes in a way, but even prisoners were given fresh linen. This was unconstitutional, but he decided not to say anything.

He leaned over on the floor on his right side and lay his head on the floor, his arms handcuffed behind him and legs bound, unable to sleep or be comfortable. His hair was so thick, ruffled, and it hung over his eyes.

He then said, softly, "Is somebody there? Ryuzaki? Where's my father? I want to speak with him."

"He's unavailable," came L's voice, after a short delay.

Light cranked his head up to look at the camera. "Let me out of here! I'm not Kira! I've told you this."

"You wanted this, remember? You wanted to prove your innocence, and to see if you were suffering from duel-personalities—which, from recent events, I'm beginning to favour towards, slightly."

"Do you mean Kira used me for his killings? Strike that, I didn't kill anybody!"

There was a slight pause. "I'm not saying that. What _I am_ inferring to, is your sudden change in persona; your innocent act. Whereas, over a week ago, you sat quietly in your cell, still professing your innocence, mind you, but under a different guise. I don't know what's going on, but I will not release you until I learn more."

"Different guise?" Light said confused. "I was acting differently?"

"We are alone. It's the middle of the night. None of the other task force members are with me; well, none are conscious, I will say. They're all sleeping. As you are awake, how about we play a game?"

"A game? Are you serious?" Light protested.

"Twenty questions," L said. "Each of us can ask questions of the other, and we _must_ answer honestly. The minute one of us suspects the other of being dishonest, the game ends. But I have one stipulation. Do not ask my real name. I am Ryuzaki or L to you and the rest of the task force—that's it."

Light snorted in disbelief. "You must be insane. A game, at a time like this…and I don't care what your real name is. All I want is to catch Kira like you, and to clear my name."

"Very well. Then you can lay there in silence. I don't have a problem with that. All I have to do is mute the sound to your cell and your rants will fall on deaf ears. The walls of your cell are sound proof."

Light sighed deeply. A few strains of his hair fell over his mouth and he blew them away. "Very well," he said, straining to sit up. "I don't have anything better to do, and I'm not tired. Who goes first?"

"I will."

"Figures."

"You ready?"

"Yeah…"

"Are you sure? You sound reluctant."

"Yes, I am— _get on with it!_ " Light shouted.

"My first question is simple, answer honestly: _Are_ you Kira?"

"No!" Light shouted. "How many times do I have to tell you!"

"Now you ask me a question," L said.

"Fine. My first question is simple, _you_ answer honestly: Are _you_ Kira?"

There was a short pause. "That's an interesting question. I'm curious why you would squander your first question on such a frivolous and obviously redundant and repetitive to my own inquiry?"

"Answer the damn question!" Light demanded.

"No need to be hostile, Light. But, I have concluded anger is the most trusting of emotions. When a person is angry, they loose all inhabitation. To answer your question: No, I am _not_ Kira. It's my turn again. Now, hypothetically, if you shared thoughts with Kira: What would you think Kira's motive to kill criminals would be? When he first began his plight, that is."

Light glared at the camera. He was insulted by the mere idea that he shared thoughts with Kira, but he was even more surprised that he had a quick enough answer. "Kira kills criminals. He thinks imposing justice upon the wicked is right, perhaps doing from some past trauma suffered which justifies his actions. I think it's a lame excuse."

"And why did you say that?"

"Because evil can never be eradicated, it festers in the shadows like a ghost, wanting to frighten the next unsuspecting person, like a potential virus. And yet, as humans, we inherently fall prey to our carnal instincts to help others by playing the hero."

"Is this from a theoretical or philosophical opinion?"

"An argument can be made for both. When I was in high school, I was a master debater. I once used an opponent's argument against him, convincing him he was wrong, scoring top marks." Light suddenly smiled. "But it wouldn't have been so with Demmy, my best friend. He and I think on the same level, pretty much. But when I challenged him to a debate, he refused. Not out of cowardice, but out of respect—and I thanked him later, knowing I would've lost. The debate that day was on the existence of God. Demmy is highly religious; he knows scripture and would have run circles around me."

"Interesting," Ryuzaki mused. "Logic and belief, even on the subject of religion, contradict each other. And a detective relies mainly on logic. Your friend may have thought of this beforehand and refused not only out of respect, but out of religious pride knowing full well with your logical mind, you may have run circles around his belief—debating about an invisible entity with no true substance of existence other than humanity's faith and worldly relics. But let us put that aside for the moment.

"Your belief—to return back to the main subject—that we inherently fall prey to our carnal instincts to help others in playing the hero has no merit, and especially related to Kira, in this era we live in. Environment, upbringing, and mindfulness of one's actions, dictates an individual's methodology and thoughts. Genetics does not."

"That's semantics and you know it. Something must have happened in Kira's past to make him act out this way."

"Ask me a question now," L requested.

Light thought for a moment. "Why did _you_ stop playing tennis?"

L didn't immediately answer, it was as if he was searching for a logical reply. "I chose to end it. Like chess, tennis is a game of strategy. When it became repetitive, I left the game to pursue other ventures."

"You said you were the British Junior Champion. How can someone just walk away from that?"

"Like I said, other interests took priority."

"You could've done both," Light said in disbelief. "You're an exceptionally good tennis player, I observed such when we played each other on the university courts."

"Thank you, and I observed something of you as well during our match."

Light frowned. "That I have the same traits as Kira? Is that why you asked for that match?"

"Correct. Kira has all the traits of a sociopathic killer."

"More like a psychopath," Light cut in. "And I don't have either of them."

"True, at the moment. But there's a fine line between the two that not many people can distinguish."

"Such as?"

"A sociopath is a habitual lair and is totally selfish, caring only to establish dominance over others. In that regard, two-thirds of the world's population are sociopaths. A psychopath does care about others and believes what he does is justified for a greater good."  
"But then, you just proved my point," Light said. "Kira is a psychopath. And I am _not_."

"Kira is cold-blooded and he's a coward. He hides in the shadows and uses whatever supernatural gift bestowed upon him to kill, but he does not kill without just cause. He kills to install fear, not for pleasure like psychopaths do. And if his powers do come from a higher power, I can't beat him on that level."

"So why chase him if you know you can't win?"

"To play his game. I enjoy difficult cases, and so-called unbeatable games. And there is always a way to win 'the game'. Whether you see it, or you don't. There are no winners or losers in any game, only victims of the strife, taking a toil on both."

"People are dying! This isn't a game!"

"I agree. But Kira is a strategist, much like yourself. That's why I zeroed in on you initially after careful and thorough research. Kira was getting information from classified sources. You had access to your father's computer via a wireless network, and you are smart enough to erase your electronic fingerprints."

"I'm not Kira!" Light shouted.

"As you've said. But you've also had plenty of opportunity to commit all those murders."

"Huh? Tell me, ol' wise one! I don't even know how Kira kills!"

"Frankly, neither do I. Well, I do have a theory, but it's inconclusive."

"Tell me what you think. Maybe I can help?"

"Ridiculous," L said. "You're my prime suspect and Misa Amane is your cohort. One of the tenants of detective work is never tell your suspect why or how you suspect them unless it will benefit you. However, now both of you seem to be sprouting totally different personalities than before, once quiet and subdued, now loud and outspoken. It's very strange."

"Are you suggesting we had this strange, supernatural power, and then, suddenly, it was taken away from us by a higher force, as if we were marionettes controlled by strings?"

"An interesting hypothesis, but no, I don't believe so. You were both cognitive of your actions at the time. It's just now you've forgotten, as if through some form of selective amnesia. The power was definitely taken from you. Where it is now…is a mystery. But like I said, no Kira-like killings have been reported since the pair of you were caught and imprisoned. So, my original conclusion that Light Yagami is Kira and Misa Amane is the Second Kira is standing true…But…" His voice trailed off for a moment, Light observed, as if he was thinking. "If that's the case, then where did it go? And who has it now? And will it return to you through the presence of a Shinigami, a so-called 'god of death'?"

Light opened his mouth to again profess his innocence, but then decided not to bother. It would be a waste of energy. L had it in his mindset he was Kira, and unless Light proved his innocence without a shadow of doubt, with zero percent, nothing he said would convince L of it otherwise.

"Back to the game?" Light suggested.

"Ah, yes...we managed to drift away from it. The score is: six to five, in your favour. With all the questions we asked intertwined within our most recent line of hypothetical thinking, that is."

"Agreed. Ask your question," Light said.

"Now, say the first thing you think of…What makes you smile?"

"Anything I think that's amusing. If it's funny, I laugh."

"I don't think you understand the question."

"I understand it just fine. I gave you an honest answer."

"No, you didn't. You gave me reactions to mental stimuli. I asked you what makes you smile."

"And I just told you!"

"You obviously don't understand the question."

"It's a stupid question."

"A child would be able to answer it easily."

"What do you mean a child would be able to answer it easily? And that's not one of my questions."

"It's a simple question without complexities. If asked to Kira, I bet he could also answer it easily."

"But you believe I _am_ Kira," Light said.

"Yes, which makes your answer interesting. A logical mind would analyze the question, describing a smile. But an abstract mind, such as with Kira, logic takes a back seat to child-like thinking. With his child-like sense of justice."

"I don't understand."

"Allow me to clarify. A child's mind isn't burdened with facts used to distract the brain like an adult. If you ask a child to draw 'Happy', he or she would, without retrospect or deep thought, draw it. A child would draw a portrait of their family or a nature scene or even a family pet. Or simply, a smilie face."

"I would think that would be considered abstract thinking," Light retorted. "A child fills in the picture instead of thinking about the dimensions, like colouring within the lines of a picture, metaphorically speaking."

"Precisely," L agreed. "Kira can't colour within the lines. That's why his killings are so generalized. 'You do the crime, you do the time.' Unfortunately, Kira takes it one step further with one punishment for every crime. Kira only thinks in terms of black and white. He sees no grey area, like the motive behind the crime—and there's always one. Sometimes people kill to protect others— to protect a family member, let's say—but it appears like cold-blooded murder to Kira. To Kira, without getting the facts, he only goes on what the media tells him. Kira believes he's a god and harrods himself to be judge, jury and executioner without considering the nature of the criminal offence. And I use _another_ example of a man who was killed by Kira, falsely accused for embezzlement. He was framed for the crime. Only after his 'punishment' by Kira was the true embezzler caught."

"I think I understand," Light said. "But speaking from a psychological standpoint, shouldn't Kira be able to colour in the lines too, if he believes he is dishing out justice?"

"I don't believe so. Kira has a child-like sense of justice. And he's only been killing for a short while. He hasn't developed the mental acuity to reach beyond certain boundaries like that learned after years of discipline, judgment, experience, and common sense—such as that taught to police officers, to know how to act during tense situations. He has standards, whether they be his personal beliefs or rules given to him, he, instinctively, adheres to them, or he feels his plight is meaningless."

"That makes sense," Light agreed. "But the fact I couldn't answer your question puts my guilt into doubt, doesn't it? I don't think like Kira. Therefore, I'm innocent."

"Hardly," L said flatly. "But it does lower the percentage of you being Kira."

"To what percentage?"

"I would say fifty percent."

"I see," Light said, he lowered his head disheartened, and sighed.

"The score is nine to six in your favour," L said, "with intermittent questions after your initial one, minus one."

Light nodded.

"It's my turn again," L said. "I'll ask three questions in succession to catch up."

_To be continued..._


	30. Demetre's Promise

With the gentleness of a caregiver, Dana carefully helped Demetre back to his quarters in the Savant Mansion, walking him very slowly after she found him in the _Obedience Room_.

With every step, Demetre hissed with pain. She wrapped him in a white robe before escorting him through the Mansion, because his clothes were gone and it was also to hide his bloody and scarred body. He shivered, trembled, but he wasn't cold, it was more like he was in shock. His wounds screamed at him, like he was being stabbed with a thousand needles with every movement.

Battered, bleeding and bruised from head to toe, Demetre still managed to smile, especially in Dana's company. Even in the face of adversity, he had only cried out once. And even when Zurn dug his finger into a wound, he still preserved.

Zurn had really beaten him. He was thankful that Dana found him, despite chained like a dog, or he would have bled to death.

Following her, was an older member of the Society's Council, a man named Quentin Tacoma. He was the one who had told Dana where to find him. He said, there was a secret camera inside the _Obedience Room_ , that not even Zurn knew about, and he had watched the entire punishment. Dana had told Tacoma when Demetre had been taken, she explained. Unfortunately, he had allow it to happen. Zurn was vicious when he dished out his punishments, and Tacoma wanted proof of this. It would be presented to the Council for review. The admission by Demetre was coerced and would not be made inadmissible.

Tacoma understood the Society's _No Fraternization Rule_ , but is was based on an antiquated law that was no longer enforced higher up. But Zurn didn't see it that way and used it from the Society's _philistine_ past.

What Zurn did to Demetre was unspeakable, even by Society's methods. The _Obedience Room_ was only supposed to be a scare room, but Zurn had turned it into a Chamber of Horrors. He said he would discuss Zurn's actions with the Council.

Demetre gently sat on his bed when they got to his quarters, every wound ablaze with a fiery pain. The robe was saturated with blood, his wounds still open. He then laid down on the bed, with Dana's help. He didn't have the strength to sit up, and allowed Dana to open his robe, exposing his body. Luckily, he still had his underwear on. But at this moment, he didn't care if he bare. He was so tired. All he wanted to do was sleep.

Whip marks coursed across his entire body, bruises were forming, and half his body was covered in crimson. Dana immediately went to work with medicine and bandages, and Tacoma helped.

During the torture session, Zurn had called him a baby-face, Tacoma said. Then punched him. Demetre remembered that. It was near the beginning of it. But right now, Demetre looked like he had just come back from a boxing match that he lost.

Dana washed Demetre's wounds with clean water, and silk cloths, then softly rubbed bacteria cream over every wound, taking great care. It would take several weeks for all the wounds to fully heal and even longer for some of the psychological ones.

The white cream was cold, and each touch stung sharply as it penetrated a wound, but Demetre suffered in silence. As the cream soaked in, soon it became welcome relief as the anti-bacteria enzymes began to ease the burning of the damaged nerves.

Tacoma was dressed in a similar white robe that Demetre had been draped in, it dropped to his ankles and sandals. To Demetre, it was typical cult attire. Tacoma had thick white hair and a closely trimmed white beard. He wore a large Christian cross attached to a long gold chain draped over his chest. All in white, he looked almost angelic—as if he were a messenger from God.

_My Lord God, please give me the strength to endure this strife._ "My crucifix, where is my crucifix?" Demetre asked, almost as if he was in a delusional state. With all the pain, he felt like it. He was so tired.

Dana said, "It's around your neck, Demmy. It's safe, and you're safe. I promise, Zurn will never hurt you again! That bastard!"

Demmy reached for his cross and grabbed it. He clutched in his right hand and breathed with a heavy sigh. It had been a present from his grandfather, whom Kira, Light Yagami, had killed. His grandfather was a very religious man. And Demetre loved to spend time with him. He was young to be a grandfather, but that was the way of his family. They married young and had children at and early age. It was like a family tradition. Love was love. He missed his grandfather very much.

"I must apologize for Zurn's actions, Demetre," Tacoma said profusely, wincing as Dana applied some more cream to a wound on Demetre's front. Demetre cringed with Dana's touch. "Most of the Council do not approve of his methods. But on occasion his methods have gotten results, so Zurn is afforded his efforts. But no longer," he said strongly, "not after this."

Demetre looked at him. "So, you approve of Zurn's actions, but only when it benefits the Society?" He was disappointed. "Sounds familiar, and sounds just like every other ecumenic society and cult in the world."

Tacoma looked saddened. "I agree, and I dare say, there are certain circumstances that prevent us from taking action against him; Society Law, and, I'm afraid, other factors. Others like yourself have broken the same law, but they have not been punished like you have. You must have irked Zurn somehow. Although, I have noticed he has taken an unusual interest in Dana as of late, one of lust. So, this may be a personal lesson to you. That she belongs to him, without stating it."

"I belong to no one!" Dana stated.

Demetre looked at Dana. "I won't let him hurt you, Dana. I took the punishment, so he wouldn't come after you. I made that confession, saying I forced myself on you to take all the blame, and now that it is recorded, it is official, and he can't come back to say otherwise. He delivered his message, and he knows it."

"There's no blame, Demmy," she said, softly touching his left cheek. "I don't regret a thing."

"Neither do I," Demetre smiled.

Despite Tacoma being in the room, Dana leaned over and kissed him. Demetre didn't stop her. He didn't have the strength.

"Zurn follows an out-dated code," Tacoma said, "but there is very little we can do or say because it is written law, and Zurn has been officially appointed as our enforcer. But I must ask you, for the record: Did you force yourself upon Dana to engage in sex?"

"No!" Dana responded instead. "I initiated it. Demetre didn't know the rules. It was in the heat of the moment, it was just something that happened. It had been so long since we had seen each other. I love him. I've always loved him!"

"Let's keep that to ourselves," Demetre said, smiling. "Keep Zurn thinking it was me or he'll come after you. He dished out his punishment, let it be—what doesn't kill me, makes me stronger, as the old adage says."

"You are a strong willed individual, I can tell," Tacoma said. "I'm pleased to meet you Demetre Draycott."

"Call me Demmy," he smiled. "All my friends do."

Suddenly, a stranger emerged at Demetre's bedroom door. The door had not been closed properly, left ajar when his wounds were being treated. The outer door to his quarters must have also been left insecure for the person to enter. This younger man, with black hair, knocked first, then pushed the door open. He wore the same clothes as Tacoma.

"Brother Alexandre?" Tacoma said. "What are you doing here?"

"My heavens! I just got word! Who did this? Was it Zurn?" Alexandre asked, entering the room fully.

Tacoma nodded. "Brother Alexandre was also an unfortunate victim of a one of Zurn's tirades a few years back," he explained, "taken to the _Obedience Room_ for punishment by Zurn's thugs, but for a separate offence."

"I was whipped for disobeying a law I had no knowledge of and Zurn refused to give me leniency," Alexandre said, "but no where this severe." His face turned hard and he looked at Tacoma. "Something must be done about Zurn, Brother Tacoma! Such barbarianism cannot be tolerated! Be it written law or not! I must apologize to you, and to Dana, for this."

"I will have a talk with the other Council members about Zurn, but it may not do any good. The Council accepts Zurn's methods, to a point," Tacoma said. "But after what I tell them, and show them, they may have a different outlook. Trust me, Demetre, you will not have your _Death Note_ taken away from you. But I think we should postpone the _Initiation Ceremony_ until you are healed enough to participate without reserve. I don't think the Brotherhood will like this after it gets around."

Demetre shook his head, he sat up. He found the strength. He had been laying down and had listened to them talk, but he felt it rude to continue to do so. "No, I want to be initiated," he smiled slyly. "I won't let Zurn put me down. I wish to pledge my alliance to the _Savant Society_. And please ask Zurn to attend the ceremony, and up front, if that can be arranged?"

"He will not be invited," Alexandre said strongly.

"Invite him, I insist. I want him there. I want to look him directly in the eye when I enter the Society."

Demetre noticed a look of concern between Dana, Tacoma, and Alexandre. But then they all agreed.

"Then let it be so, Demetre Draycott," Tacoma said proudly. "In three days, you will pledge yourself before the Savant Society and will become one of us. Dana will help you prepare. There is much to learn before you can stand before us." Then his voice became softer. "But be warned, you shouldn't make an enemy out of Zurn, Demetre. It would not be wise."

"There is an even older adage: _Keep your friends close and your enemies closer_ ," Demmy said with a smirk. "And I plan on keeping Zurn Wellington very close to the chest for now on."

"I'll help him prepare," Dana said. "He'll be ready."

Demetre smiled. "Thank you, Dana."

x x x

Minutes later, after Tacoma and Alexandre had left, Dana continued to attend to Demetre's wounds, alone. He laid down for the further treatment. Reservations aside, she exposed him further below to get to the more sensitive and private areas and spread cream in those places. After a few moments of stinging, the cream began to sooth the burning areas, and Demetre relaxed.

He felt tired, but when he was with Dana, he felt more energized. He only wished his pain hadn't zapped so much of his strength, or he would make love to her a second time in as many days.

He had a secret crush on her when they were in the same grade school, while she was dating Light. He was stunned to learn she also had a crush on him. But he knew, it would feel awkward if she dumbed Light to start dating him. And it would probably ruin their friendship. Although now, with Light murdering his grandfather—the friendship was next to done!

"I hope your strength will return when the Initiation Ceremony commences," Dana said, spreading the last of the cream in a sensitive area. Demetre had patches of white all over him and he felt he looked like had a bad case of acne. "You're not the only one being indoctrinated into the Society, there are sixteen others. There is not only a pledge, but…"

He smiled at her, and said, "Don't worry about me, Dana. I'll be all right for the ceremony. And in time, I'll repay Zurn in kind for the education he gave me."

Dana nodded in agreement, said, "Do unto others, as they would do unto you?"

Demetre smirked. "Exactly," he responded, "as the Bible teaches us. And there is no greater law than _God's Divine Law_. An eye for an eye—that sort of thing. Sometimes, to _turn the other cheek_ is not always an option. One must be taught a lesson in kind."

"I don't like you talking about revenge, Demmy. You're not like that. When you found out Light murdered your grandfather, you could have killed him immediately, and then Kira—the original one—would be dead. But you didn't, you had restraint. Light Yagami has used the Death Note to murder hundreds of people, and not use criminals, and claims he is doing for Humanity's base interest. He has created a cloud of fear around the world. This was not the original intent of the Death Note."

Demetre cocked his head. "Not the original intent of the Death Note?" he asked.

She nodded. And she told him.

What she told him was fascinating, and he had theorized about the very notion that _once-upon-a-time_ Shinigami were _other beings_ —entities of good, and not just _god's of death_ ; bored and listless. Something must have happened in their history to alter their very culture. And, of course, it had to do with a great war. After war, societies often changed—mostly for the better, but somethings, for the worse. Nazi Germany was a perfect example.

The Shinigami Realm changed for the worse, too, and it had to do with the greediness and ruthlessness of the Shinigami King.

"I have no intentions of killing Light, or Zurn," Demmy then said. "But both must be taken to task for their crimes. I'll confront them both, separately, in due time, and return the favour that have wrought upon me." He took Dana's hand. "I love you, Dana, and I promise you this, even though I'm the owner of the Death Note, I won't kill out of hate or malice. If I must use it, I'll use it for good, or for my own protection. I know that's bizarre, but you're right about me. I'm not a vengeful person."

"I'm so glad," and they kissed again, long and passionately.

_To be continued..._


	31. Initiation Into the Savant Society

The _Initiation Ceremony_ was held in an audience hall that was called the _Praxeum_ , and it was the very same place that Demmy had been re-united with Dana. The _Initiation Ceremony_ was attended by all twelve Council members of the Savant Society with other invited guests, which included Dana Chika and Zurn Wellington.

It had been three days since Demmy had suffered at the hands of Zurn, and during that time, he had recovered considerably, and began an exercise regimen that helped him restore most of his vitality. He also made contact with his parents and informed that that he was okay—after his kidnapping, that he kept secret—and told them that he was staying with a friend for a couple of days. It was a half-truth. He was staying at the Savant Mansion at the base of Mount Fuji with Dana, but he hated to lie to his parents, and later apologized to God for his deception. But it was for the best and it was also to protect them.

Demetre gave a sideways glance to Dana and smiled. Dana stood in a white robe with others in the audience hall observing the Initiation Ceremony as the Council members encircled Demetre. Zurn however remained in the shadows in the back of the hall, but everyone knew he was there.

It was a place honour, and simplistically adorned with a few ceremonial, symbolic banners hanging down the walls, and the pyre pit in the middle of the floor, surrounding the podium. He learned the name _Praxeum_ was from an ancient language, and rarely spoken these days; only by a few who knew it. But the word meant: _a place of learning and education_. And after what Dana told him what the ceremony consisted of, Demetre knew he was about to get one.

The temperature was warm and the room was illuminated with flickering dancing torch light, giving it a gothic feel. He compared it to a societal meeting place similar to the Druids of Scotland at Stonehenge centuries ago.

Demetre stood wearing a white robe, but he knew he would have to disrobe when the "Branding" began.

The "Branding" happened when a person joined the Savant Society and they were branded-for-life with the Society's symbol on the body. The individual had a choice where the mark would go. It was only after his torture session did Dana show him her mark, he had not seen it on her when they had sex. He had seen nearly ever inch of her naked body except for the part where the mark resided. She had chosen the bottom of her left foot. If he had a foot fetish, then he would have seen it. He laughed to himself when he recalled their time together, failing to see it. Next time, he said he would be 'more thorough'.

Zurn had been invited by Tacoma at Demetre's request. But Demetre was told Zurn rarely attended the indoctrination ceremonies. Demetre insisted on it, and he smirked, when he looked in Zurn's direction. It was a direct challenge to the masochist.

_I am becoming one of you, and there's not a damn thing you can do about it. You beat me like a dog and demanded I walk away. But I didn't yield. Your time will come, Zurn._

Geist was also in attendance with other Shinigami Demetre had been introduced to over the last couple of days who were bonded to Council members and others attendees in the audience hall, all he could see. Including the eight year old holding Cerberus in his arms. The blond haired boy stood apart from the main group, but looked on with interest.

Demetre's body was still very sore after his torture session with Zurn, but he knew his unwavering faith and strength would reward him in the long run. He knew here, in this place, he would ascend to a higher plane of understanding and existence. Therefore, Demetre decided, his torture session, and this place, would be like a re-awakening in seeing God's light—a rebirth.

Zurn proclaimed that there were no other gods but Shinigami. And sight unseen, a person would tend to believe that. But Demetre knew otherwise. He had his faith, like Job in the Bible. God had taken everything away from Job: family, livelihood, and everything else—to test his faith. And he was later rewarded, a hundred fold.

_My faith will never waver in you, Heavenly Father, and I shall have no other God but you in my heart. Shinigami are pseudo-gods that hold the power of life and death in their hands using Death Notes, but you are the Almighty, the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning, the middle, and the end._

He possessed a Death Note, but he knew he was merely a pawn used by Geist for the Shinigami's entertainment. He accepted the arrangement for now. But the more he learned about the Death Note, the more he could use its power for a greater good, and to use it for _God's_ good.

But he had had to be careful not to let its power grow on him, corrupt him, and change him, like it did Light Yagami.

The pyre pit was stoked and Demetre disrobed, the bruises and marks on his body clearly seen by the others of what Zurn had done to him, although no one mentioned it. A few select words were spoken by Tacoma from a sacred book and then were recited and repeated by Demetre with a drop of blood from his finger that fell into the pyre pit.

The others also being indoctrinated repeated the same task—a dozen in all, all disrobed, as if to cast their old lives. It was symbolic to show everything to the others, to appear vulnerable, and to except the Savant Society as a whole.

It was a little difficult reciting linguistic text from the Shinigami language and pledging an oath of obedience to uphold the sacred usage of the Death Note, but Demetre managed to complete the rite of passage without issue and held steadfast when he spoke the words that Dana helped him to interpret giving him a crash course on Shinigami language over the past three days. English was not the Shinigami's first language. Shinigami spoke mainly in a series of grunts, clicks, and animalistic sounds.

Demmy was the only one to recite the text perfectly. The others had problems, but eventually got through it with help.  
Geist nodded pleased, after Demetre gave him a sideways glance in assurance.

It was said the words strengthened the bond between human and Shinigami, similar to a supernatural entity who formed a demonic covenant with a human. Knowing the secrets of the Death Note gave Demetre superior knowledge. And now that he knew how to speak the Shinigami language, he was even more powerful than most—even than Light Yagami.

A blazing hot poker was lifted from the pyre pit and Demetre told Tacoma where he wanted the brand—on his lower back. He said it would be less inconspicuous than on the arm and it would be minute enough to hide. Although, if he ever had to prove he was a member, it would make for an awkward exhibition when he had had to moon someone.

He was asked if he was ready. And after saying yes, he turned around.

Mentally preparing himself, a moment later he felt the heat of the poker approach his skin. Dana held his hand as he clenched his teeth. The seething, burning pain of the poker burned its brand onto his right buttock. He couldn't see the brand, but Dana had brought a small mirror and he could view it—the mark was two crescent moons with an all-seeing eye between them.

Half-teary-eyed, he looked at Dana.

She smiled at him and then gave him a small kiss on the cheek, which was allowed—the archaic law of _No Fraternization With Other Members_ forever eliminated after the Council saw the secret recording by Tacoma in the _Obedience Room_ , where Zurn brutally beat Demetre. Zurn was given a stern lecture about it, but no punishment was administered.

Demetre then delivered a sly smirk to Zurn where the enforcer stood in a darkened area. Zurn scowled, and then turned, and left.

_The Savant Society_ was a world wide cult and Japan was merely one point of the compass where it resided. They were allied with other large groups who controlled most of the world in the shadows. There was also a representative from a renown family here, who were one of the largest, if not the wealthiest families, with massive political tides everywhere in the world.

Demetre knew the Rothschild's had a hand in pretty much everything, but it came as a shock that one of their family resided here—in fact, the eight year old boy was their representative, being the cousin to a prominent member of their family. Nevertheless, despite the family having a nefarious reputation, filled with conspiracy since the late eighteenth century—a Rothschild had bonded with a Shinigami. He welcomed Demetre warmly. The boy's name was Adam; his Shinigami, Cerberus.

Most who possessed a Death Note were members of the Savant Society, secretly spreading their "religion" to other parts of the world, with new Shinigami coming to the world on a consisted basis, authorized by the Shinigami Elite.

With this alliance between the Shinigami and the Society, it give the Shinigami, who needed to replenish their fading life spans, victims to do so—those who deserved to die. With over seven billion people on the planet, and with thousands more being born every day, a few dozen "normal-like" heart attack deaths would not be noticed.

But _Kira_ : Light Yagami, and _The Second Kira_ : Misa Amane—were a problem.

L and the ICPO (International Criminal Police Organization) noticed Kira killings. This put the Savant Society in jeopardy when it was later revealed they were supernatural in order.

One member of the ICPO was a member, and originally brought the case to L to investigate before Kira introduced himself. L had been in Los Angeles at the time working on another case and it was thought these killings were suspicious but not supernatural. The Society knew of L's reputation and hoped he would stop these killings before it progressed into something unstoppable.

Kira flagrantly killed mercilessly, but the Savant Society had rules that opposed unauthorized killings by Shinigami according to an agreement established between the Council and the Shinigami Elite. And only those sanctioned by both could proceed, the Shinigami allowed to take lives that helped the world by eliminating crime without garnering unwanted attention.

And before Kira came along, it worked.

The Society wanted to stop Light Yagami and Misa Amane in their collective role as "Kira". The killings put a strain on the Society and Shinigami relationship. If the contract between them was eliminated, then Shinigami would run rampant and would no longer be sanctioned to kill unreserved. And the Council, in secret, needed to control the Shinigami to save Human Kind. The contract was merely a control mechanism and a means to an end to keep the Shinigami on a tight leash.

Tacoma, in his white robe, raised his arms into the air, as if in benediction, and spoke an ancient prayer that Demetre recognized as being in the Koran, a middle eastern religious text—Arabic being one of the oldest spoken languages in the ancient world.

The ceremony was almost over.

" _Until the Death Note is finished or the handler dies, whichever comes first._ " Geist had explained this to Demmy when all the rules of the Death Note were told to him, and Tacoma repeated this rule now within the prayer.

Demetre gingerly put his robe back on, the nerves in his buttock burning. He knew he wouldn't be able to sit down for a while.

"Let us welcome our newest brethren into the fold," Tacoma then said to all those in attendance. "Brother Demetre Draycott, will you now lead us in the selected passage?"

Demetre nodded, and he was given a black book. Inside, was the selected passage, bookmarked. Dana said it was spoken in every _Initiation Ceremony_ , and Demmy was told prior that he would be chosen from the group being indoctrinated to recite it. It was the last confirmation—an oath—before he was officially sworn in as a member of the Savant Society. Top of the class.

When the ceremony ended, the Council members, and others who had been indoctrinated, with their respected Shinigami, filed out of the hall, leaving Demetre and Dana standing alone in the _Praxeum_.

Demetre smiled, proud of his decision to join, and pleased that things went so well during the ceremony. Dana hugged him. He grunted, his body still sensitive from the torture session. She pulled back quickly. "I'm sorry. . ." she said sympathetically.

"I'm fine, my body has felt sore for the last three days, but things are healing better. Especially when you spread that cream on me every night." He smiled sweetly. "And I would never deny a hug from you, or anything else." He winked.

"You jokester," he said. "But I'll take you up on that later when you stop smelling like a tin of Penaten Cream."

The _Praxeum_ was suddenly filled with what sounded like sardonic clapping and they both turned to see Zurn emerging from a darkened corner of the room. Demetre thought he had left.

"Welcome to the Savant Society, Draycott," Zurn said with a curious, honest acceptance. "You passed the indoctrination with flying colours. Most people waver, even stutter when they recite that rather droll ancient selected passage, to solidify their initiation—all the others did. But you spoke every word perfectly. I'm impressed. And I'm sure you were helped." He looked at Dana. "You truly have a wicked tongue, Dana Chika, in more ways than one. You taught your dog a few new tricks." Dana scowled at him and he laughed amused. "It also appears you are even in favour with the Council members, Draycott, but their nepotism will only get you so far. It will fade quickly; it always does."

Zurn's last words were obviously meant to be sardonic. Demetre gave him a narrowed, disdained glare.

"You're one of _us_ now." Zurn smirked. "Well, one of _them_ , anyway."

"And what do you mean by that?" Demetre demanded.

"I've already said to you, there is pleasure and there is pain," Zurn said, his tone turning serious, but elusive to the question. "The Council may have seen that secret recording of me torturing you in the Obedience Room, but don't think you're off the hook. You might be well liked, even favoured, but if you brake the rules again, I won't be so forgiving next time."

"Are you threatening me, Zurn?"

"I don't need to _threaten_ you, Draycott," Zurn said with a broad grin, bright white teeth showing. "You already experienced first hand the consequences of disobedience and I'll continue to do what needs to be done. Much like Kira."

Demetre looked at Dana shocked.

_Did Zurn support Kira—Light Yagami's plight?_

Zurn laughed, and then turned and left the _Praxeum_.

Demetre growled under his breath. "Some men are evil incarnate, born from Lucifer's ass!"

"He can't harm you any more," Dana said. "The Council has forbidden it. He has been told."

"You heard what he said, he doesn't care. He'll do what he wants. I'm in his crosshairs now. But my worry is for you."

Demetre looked into her green sprinkling eyes. With the pyre, they glittered with the torch light. They illuminated, but there was a sadness in them. Demetre knew he had made an enemy in Zurn Wellington and it worried her. But he would not allow any harm to come to her. If need be, he would kill Zurn to protect her. He thought he lost her once, but he won't lose her again.

He then realized his emotions were getting the better of him. He was not like Light Yagami.

"Certain people bath in the suffering of others and Zurn is one of them," Demmy said, and he looked at the exit where Zurn had just left. "And there are those who crave pleasure in torturing others like Zurn did to me. They believe they are beyond reproach. But eventually karma catches up to them." He turned back to Dana. "But trust me when I say, if Zurn ever hurt you, Dana, I'll unleash Hell's fury upon him! I promise, with God is my witness, no one will ever harm you!"

"Don't be like Light Yagami, please," she pleaded, hugging him tight, clamping her arms around his waist. He flinched, his scars hurting. But he didn't tell her to stop. He needed her touch right now. He needed her strength. And he hugged her back.

"Revenge is not the Lord's way," he said back. "To forgive is divine. And then there are some people who cannot be redeemed no matter what. And Zurn fits into that category. But for you, Dana, I'll try."

She leaned back, smiled, and they kissed.

Zurn had started a personal war and Demmy was determined to be the victor.

_No matter the cost_ , he vowed.

_To be continued..._


	32. Are you bored?

In the hotel room—the task force's _de-facto_ headquarters—L sat crouched with his knees folded to his chest in a chair. It wasn't the most comfortable position he could be in, but if didn't, his deductive reasoning would decrease by forty percent.

He had taken a momentary break from the question and answer session to use the restroom, but then returned to the chair in front of the laptop with Light's cell showing.

Light Yagami had asked him why he sat that way when they were enjoying a cup of tea together at one of Light's favourite cafe's when the Kira Case had begun to focus solely on Light, and L explained it helped him in his deductive reasoning. He said it was best not to be comfortable, or compliancy would set in, and a vital clue would most assuredly be overlooked.

L remembered that moment. It was when he wanted to get Light's opinion on some letters Kira forced prisoners to write before they either died in their cells from a heart attack or committed some strange act in prison before their demise. It was also the beginning of the notion that Kira was able to kill a person by means other than a simple heart attack, that Kira could manipulate his victims to do what he wanted before they died. It was an important time in the Kira Case.

But sometimes when he decided to wane off _thinking_ , he would sit normally. And this is when his mind would wander and become lax. He didn't want to wane off thinking about the Kira Case, however. He needed to keep the wheels going. To catch Kira, to find out how Kira killed. He had never had a case like this one, it turned out to be something supernatural. And it was above his scope of expertise. He knew a few people who were experts in the supernatural, but he didn't want them involved. If Kira was willing to murder a dozen FBI agents—good guys—then Kira would murder anyone who was just trying to help. It was best not to put innocent people in the crosshairs.

He was the master detective the world knew by a moniker. And yet, the Kira Case perplexed him greatly. He had gone through the clues of the case multiple times. _Was_ Light Yagami the serial killer known as _Kira_? With all the clues before him, Light Yagami was the prime suspect without actually having any evidence against him other than conjecture. But now with Light in a jail cell and monitored by CCTV twenty-four hours a day and no criminals dying, his conclusive reasoning of this supernatural case was falling prey to indecision.

It had been well over a week since Light had voluntarily given himself up for interrogation, deciding that he may or may not be Kira. And that he might be suffering from a split personality disorder. Light said but wanted to be locked up just in case Kira was committing his crimes through him in some matter by way of the supernatural. Nothing had resolved itself in this past week.

But something was different now. The prideful aura Light Yagami once possessed had vanished. And after Light's answers to the current game of Twenty Questions they were playing, L wondered about Kira's 'train of thought'.

He thought Kira's mentality mirrored that of Light Yagami, but he wasn't sure now. The percentage of Light being Kira was steadily decreasing. It was now thirty percent from fifty percent. It was still high, but he thought it should have gone up with the game. The game was a way to gather information for a case against Light Yagami. The case seemed to be losing ground now.

The game continued.

L had made notes whenever Light answered a question and had watched Light's reactions as he expressed his answers, analyzing them accordingly. Light was still handcuffed, and at present was sitting up, leaning against his cot. It must have been very uncomfortable for him.

"Let us continue our game," L said.

It was agreed that L would ask three consecutive questions to catch up to Light's nine-to-six score.

"It wards off the boredom, I suppose," Light said back listlessly.

L thought about his next question. He had asked some basic questions, but now it was time to get personal. He wanted to dwell deep into Light's psyche, and through hardcore inquiries, he could gauge Light's true feelings. It was said anger was one of the hottest emotions, and the truth, how a person truly felt, often came out uninhibited here. It was time to make Light mad.

"How did you feel when your sister was born?" L asked, carefully watching Light's immediate reaction. "Some people may have animosity towards other siblings having to share their parental love."

Light looked bewildered for a moment and he stared away from the camera. It was a common reaction to recalling a moment from the past. Light looked back. "I don't remember. Perhaps? If I was, then those feelings have long been resolved, because I don't feel jealous of my little sister. I love her. And I would never let any harm come to her."

"Sayu's fourteen, correct? And you're nineteen. I know it was fourteen years ago, but think hard. You were five years old at the time. A child's mind is chaotic at that age. You may have a logical mind _now_ , you may have trained yourself to end certain mental issues, but take some time to recall anything you remember. It's important."

Light glared at the camera, and L sensed Light's inquisitiveness towards the question. "If I said I didn't have envious feelings when Sayu was born, to say I wasn't jealous—would my parents love me any less?—I'd be lying. So, I guess I was jealous of Sayu. But it's only natural, right?"

"I believe you. And I believe you when you say you love your family. But why do you resent your father so much?"

Light's eyes widened with disbelief and shock. "I… _what_? I don't hate my father! How dare you say something like that!"

"I didn't say _hate_ , I said _resent_."

"I don't resent my father!" Light spoke defensively and angrily. Light's eyes seemed to bore into the camera lens, much like they had when he was first placed in the cell. And yet, his eyes weren't necessarily angry, they looked more hurt. A sociopath would not act in such a way.

But it had been a test. L wanted this kind of reaction—an honest reaction. And Light had passed. He knew one of the most honest reactions to a question of the like was that of anger and resentment.

_Why have you changed from when you were first brought here, Light? What's changed in you?_

Child psychology was a difficult field. But in researching it and behavioural cases, L concluded every child had at least some animosity towards one or both parents for their upbringing, especially if they had to share their love with a sibling—like his father deciding to have another child, as if one wasn't good enough.

He needed to dwell deeper into Light's case, maybe ask his father some in-depth questions—how Light was when he was a child, and see why Light would feel so strongly against crime acting as Kira. There had to be a reason.

Or maybe it was quite simply Light was fed-up with the world and thought it needed a change?

But millions of people thought this way. Even L did, sometimes. But he wouldn't go around killing criminals just because he had the power to. And again, what kind of power _does_ Kira have?

But it was starting to look like L had been mistaken in his accusation of Light after the reactions he was getting. Light's guilt had now dropped to fifteen percent. But that was still high in L's opinion. Anything higher than _one percent_ still brought suspicion.

"I retract my last two questions," L said. "And I apologize for even suggesting such a thing with either."

"You can't do that!" Light demanded. L cocked his neck up straight in surprise. "The score is now nine to eight. All questions are final. Ask your third question to tie us. Then it'll be my turn."

"Very well. I'll ask you a generalized question," L said. He paused for a moment, then asked, "Are you bored?" Light blinked thoughtfully. It almost seemed like he didn't know or couldn't answer the question. "Light, did you hear the question?"

"Yes, I heard it," Light said, gazing away from the camera.

"It's a simple question— _Yes_ or _No_?"

"Are you asking it from a philosophical point of view or in the conventional sense?"

L tilted is head quirky, quite interested in why Light would ask that. "It's a simple question with a simple answer. I'm just asking if you're bored. It's not a difficult question to answer, Light. Someone else wouldn't even think about it. Unless you're trying to analyze it for a hidden meaning? If so, don't bother. There isn't one. So, I'll ask again. Light— _Are you bored?_ "

"No, I'm enjoying the game. I told you before, it starves off the boredom of being locked up alone in this cell."

L thought momentarily. Something about Light's answer made him thought if Light was giving the answer he wanted to hear, not necessarily the truth.

_Are you bored? A very suitable question now that I think about it._

_If you were bored enough, Light, would receiving a god-like power cause you to use it in such a manner you'd become Kira? Do Shinigami really exist? And would one give you a supernatural power and then just, simply, take it away, because you, Light, had grown so powerful with it, you had be subdued? Your memory erased of this power and of the Shinigami?_

_Now that both you and Amane are locked up, the Shinigami has no more use for you, and will leave both of you here to rot, and to take the fault of the Shinigami's influence over you. If so, then believing you 'may' be Kira, could be true?_

_If this theory is correct, even in the slightest, then Light Yagami, you were Kira, and Misa Amane was The Second Kira, but now neither is, and your sudden personality changes would be concurrent with this new evidence._

_Misa Amane is cute, but dumb._

_When she obtained the same power, did she somehow manage to screw something up for you, Light? And that's why you turned yourself in to protect her, to stop her from talking? But she doesn't know you're even here, separated. You, Light, may or may not have knowledge of Misa being here, but Misa certainly has no knowledge of you being here._

_If it wasn't for her capture, would you still have the power of a Shinigami? And even so, why? Did you make some sort of devilish covenant with a supernatural being for their god-like power? Again, why? What sort of past would cause you to want to so viciously murder hundreds, even close to a thousand people, criminals and others, without mercy?_

_Something to press you on. No, I won't ask you about your past directly, Light. I'll ask your father. I'll get a truthful answer._

_Something must have happened for Light to turn yourself in, relinquishing all your civil rights. No sensible person would do that unless the decision was forced upon you. And seeing how hopeless the situation is, you, perhaps, decided to annul the power to get rid of it—words spoken by you in your cell a little less than a week ago._

_That then suddenly saw a rapid shift in your personality._

_Things are beginning to fall into place. However, the evidence is lacking. Everything is still conjecture. And I don't like that._

" _I know I must look pretty bad in here with this foolish pride, so I guess I just have to…get rid of it!_ " L quietly mused to himself, the microphone to Light's cell shut off. _Light spoke those final four words like some sort of code word._ "Hmm…"

"Ryuzaki, is something wrong? Why have you gone quiet all of a sudden?"

L shook his head. He was jumping to conclusions. The assumption wasn't based on facts. He couldn't work with suppositions, he needed concrete information. A good detective worked with factual evidence to form a solid based. Attempting to fill in certain gaps with guesses was just bad form and it lead to little or no factual conclusions.

And yet, it was something to think about later.

"Just thinking," he said, after he pressed on the button to the microphone. "Sorry, I spaced out there for a moment."

"So, are _you_ bored? Should that be my next question?"

"I think this game should conclude," L said. He wanted to think about this new theory, reason it out, and if it had merit. And truthfully, _he_ was bored of the twenty questions game. It hadn't given him any new information that he didn't have before.

"No!" Light protested strongly. "I want to continue. I told you I wasn't bored of the game."

"Then tell me why it took you so long to answer my last question?"

"I don't know. But I'm not bored with the game. It keeps me occupied. I'm going stir-crazy in here."

"It keeps your mind occupied, you mean."

"Didn't I just say that?"

"No, you didn't. You said it keeps you occupied."

"Stop reading innuendos into my words, Ryuzaki, or how I phrase my answers. Let's just play the game!"

Light was annoyed. _Light Yagami_ was annoyed. Something had definitely changed in Light, something L didn't understand. This wasn't _Kira_ speaking, this was _Light Yagami._

Ok, he was willing to continue the game for now.

"The score is tied," L said. "Ask your next question. And no holding back."

_To be continued..._


	33. Adam

Zurn waited in the outer hallway of the _Praxeum_ and watched in the shadows until Demetre and Dana left, together, hand-in-hand. He sneered, they were defiantly breaking the rules again. Demetre was the only member of the Society that openly defied his authority as Enforcer. The kid was brash and arrogant, but he wouldn't be for long.

He turned and walked down an adjacent hall and then stopped. He reached for his belt and pulled his cell phone from a pouch, then speed dialled a number. His phone was encrypted, so the Society's tele-communications network wouldn't pick it up and see who he was calling. All calls out of the Savant Mansion were monitored.

It rang twice before a person answered.

"Z here, that _dreg_ Draycott was just indoctrinated into the Society, and Light Yagami has yet to be located, but my spies are looking for him along with Misa Amane. According to my sources at the NPA, Light and his father took an unscheduled sabbatical, but I don't believe it. Although in the past Soichiro Yagami and his son, along with Demetre Draycott, have taken sabbaticals for 'Special Survival Training' in the past in Hokkaido Jozankei Forest, wildlife training, or something like that, but that stopped about two years ago when Light Yagami became serious about his school work. As for the _other_ matter, the boy is proving more difficult to control, but he will be controlled."

After some last minute instructions by his contact, Zurn ended the conversion. He then entered a darkened room down the hall and logged into the Society's CCTV system with an encrypted passcode and searched the system for Demetre Draycott. He and Dana were walking back to his quarters.

He was ordered to keep a close eye on Demetre Draycott, and for purely personal reasons, he disliked the teen the movement he set eyes on him. Sometimes the mere sight of a person can judge their character. And with Draycott's cocky attitude and abhorrent disregard of Zurn's authority, the teen was someone not to take lightly. Zurn had noticed the look Demetre had given him in the Praxeum. It had been a look of _try and touch me now_.

Zurn grumbled. "I'll teach you to fear me, you little shit!"

He logged off the CCTV, replaced the phone into its pouch on his belt, and then left the room.

He went to undertaken a personal task, when suddenly he was halted in his tracks by Adam, the eight year old blond boy, and he was holding Cerberus in his arms. The Shinigami was in its favourite form, it was in the form of a small light tan brown Pomeranian dog, looking nothing more than a ball of fur with a small, pudgy face, not a Shinigami. The breed of dog Cerberus mimicked were named for the Pomerania region in north-west Poland and north-east Germany in Central Europe. They were extroverted, sociable, and intelligent dogs.

Zurn looked down at the boy and the boy looked up with an intensity in his eyes.

The boy was dressed angelic, all in white.

He was a member of the famous Rothschild family, but his ties to them didn't matter at the Savant Society, only his ability. And not only was he partnered with a Shinigami at a very young age, Adam also had a very special gift—he was able, to a certain extent, read a person's mind. Or, at the very least, empathically feel their emotions, to understand what they may be thinking.

Zurn felt a stirring in his mind and quickly pointed a finger at the boy. "Don't you dare, brat!" Zurn's sudden heated emotion broke the stirring in his mind, an invasion he felt from the boy. "Your attempt to invade my consciousness won't work, and I'm a cop. I've been through far worse than you, and have developed mental barriers."

Adam scowled and Cerberus yipped at Zurn. The Shinigami didn't like him, and Zurn felt the same way about Cerberus. Adam didn't say much. He was basically a recluse and stayed in his quarters, but he was well liked and afforded every privilege of the Mansion. And Cerberus was allowed go where he pleased. Cerberus, being the Mansion's protector, had full reign. This was the "cuddly" form of the Shinigami. His full-fledged form was monstrous! Cerberus gave the Greek myth of his name sake reality.

"Do you think you frighten me, mutt? Think again!" Zurn eyed Adam. "Go back into hiding, boy. That's what you favour, right? Your partial-amnesia hinders properly honing your second sight, so you'll never get through my defences." Zurn tapped his right temple. "I have more important things to concern me than a practicing mute and his weedy chameleon. And remember, the Council has _forbidden_ you from touching me after the incident a few months back. You caused a lot of damage."

Adam scowled, obviously recalling the incident in question.

A few months back, Cerberus had attacked Zurn because he had pushed the boy, Adam looking at Zurn _wrong_.

Zurn knew he had a bit of a temper, and with the aid of his own Shinigami Prometheus, it was an incident that could have escalated to immense proportions. And it was against Shinigami Law for two Shinigami to fight with each other, unless officially challenged, but strictly forbidden with members of the Savant Society.

Adam had called Cerberus off by snapping his fingers, not wishing for Cerberus to be sent to the Shinigami Realm for breaking the rules. For this would have been Cerberus's punishment for instigating a fight and Cerberus had started it. Due to this, the Council forbade Adam and Cerberus from engaging in any hostile action towards Zurn, in accordance with the agreement with the Shinigami Elite. They had been given a stern warning.

But Adam appeared to have forgotten this for the moment. " _You will not cause harm to Demetre Draycott, or his friend Dana Chika, or you will suffer the consequences,_ " the boy threatened telepathically. The words sounding loud in Zurn's mind. " _I will not warn you again!_ "

Zurn looked at the boy, Adam's eyes were filled with an uncanny hate. For a moment, Zurn wondered if the boy would ignore the warning by the Council and have Cerberus attack him here in the hallway. But Zurn smirked, knowing the boy wouldn't dare.

"You can't touch me. I am the Savant Society's Enforcer, and you will respect my authority. Your threat is meaningless. Piss off!"

Cerberus began to growl intensely, but Adam quieted him, petting him.

Zurn cocked his head. "You can sense him, can't you, boy? Even though he isn't present, his aura is authoritarian. The power of Prometheus can crush you both easily," Zurn said. "Best keep your pet leashed. Now leave."

Adam scowled again, but turned around and left, and walked down the hall with Cerberus in hand.

"Stupid brat!"

Zurn then turned around and headed down the opposite hall.

* * *

Adam had heard what Zurn called him, the corridor that lead to the _Praxeum_ was like a hollow tube and everything echoed, but he didn't care. However, he did _feel_ Cerberus was angry, and Adam knew the Shinigami wanted to rip Zurn's head off. He knew Cerberus could, too. The anamorphic Shinigami loved him like family and would do anything to protect him, but Adam wouldn't allow it. Cerberus would be banished to the Shinigami Realm.

So, he tried to calm Cerberus's anger by petting him and almost immediately his touch began to soothe the beast.

He chose not to speak, a tragedy in his past caused him to remain silent. But it was Cerberus who helped him get through it. Something had attacked his mother and father and murdered them, Cerberus suddenly appeared and defended him, warding off the supernatural creature. Something about his ability drew supernatural phenomenon to him and Cerberus took it upon himself to become his protector.

He was the youngest human ever to be bounded with a Shinigami. When he reached five years old, he was indoctrinated by his Uncle into the Savant Society. He had the exact same mark on his body as Demetre Draycott received, and he found it ironic that Draycott, when asked where he wanted it, got it in the exact same place. Adam also received the mark of the Society on his right butt cheek. It really hurt and did for days.

He spoke to Cerberus telepathically: " _One day that man will get what's coming to him, Cerberus._ " Adam knew the cliche of those words, but like all things, eventually Karma catches up to everyone. " _While it is forbidden to write his name down in a Death Note, Society Law dictates if any member is found to have been killed by a Death Note by another member, they will be immediately stripped of it and his memories erased of the Death Note and the Society. They will experience heralding sufferance and an accident will befall them that cannot be traced back abnormally. But he hasn't done anything that deems death at the moment. So, we will merely continue to tolerate him._ "

Cerberus barked in agreement.

Adam's telepathic powers were both a gift and a curse. Much like when one of the five human senses is shutdown, the others are enhanced. However, with him, he was born with a Second Sight, unknowingly given to him in god-like fashion. But it was Brother Tacoma that helped him to develop them to what they were today.

Much like a trained psychologist can tell when a person is lying by the various facial ticks someone has when being deceptive, Adam could dwell into a person's mind and tell truth from fiction.

In Zurn's case, he had the uncanny ability to block Adam's telepathy through a sudden emotional outburst that overloaded Adam's sensory perception. And with Zurn's temper at times, this abated Adam learning more secrets from Zurn's mind. He was definitely hiding something and Adam had caught a glimpse of it in the _Praxeum_ , when he temporarily let his guard down. For some reason, when he and Draycott clashed, he could feel something beyond sinister in Zurn's mind, and it involved _The League of Darkness_. A fraction of the Society that broke off from the main cusp over a quarter of a century ago. _The Savant Society_ wanted to live in peace with the Shinigami, while _The League of Darkness_ wanted to rule over them—even using control mechanisms to do so.

Such mechanisms were once used by _The Savant Society_ many years ago, but were then banned because it was felt a more trusting relationship was needed with the gods of death to help Mankind and to prevent unnecessary killing.

_The League of Darkness_ thought differently and their ruler often clashed with the Society over philosophical issues. Their leader, dubbed "The Dark One", felt Humankind needed to be controlled, and that people had developed too much freedom. Order to replace chaos on the planet, and Shinigami should be freed to kill as they pleased. While this clashed with the Shinigami Elite and the Society's passive philosophy, some Shinigami agreed with _The League of Darkness's_ view and agreed to join them. Therefore, the Society and the League became warring fractions from a singular origin, much like different religions with angular views.

Adam didn't know if Dana Chika had told Demetre Draycott about _The League of Darkness_ yet, but he knew the newbie would soon find out. Often with new recruits, agents of the League came out of the darkness and attempted to coax them over to add to their numbers. On one rare occasion, the League succeed—and that former Society member was cast into oblivion for his betrayal. Mostly, dark shrouded agents were denied, sent back empty-handed.

Adam retired to his quarters for the evening and sat on his bed. Cerberus hopped out of his arms and laid down on the covers. Adam yawned. It was getting late and it had been an active day. He was a member of Savant Society, but he was only eight year old. And his eyes felt tired.

He had a digital watch on and he looked at the time. It was only four o'clock in the afternoon, but it felt much later. He laid down on his bed, and took a nap.

_To be continued..._


	34. Light's Secret Ancestry Revealed

With the Kira Task Force occupied with other things, L opted to continue the Q & A game with Light.

They'd been interrupted a few times with L being asked a couple of questions on varying leads, which then caused the Task Force to leave the building to pursue them.

Now they were again alone.

They'd stopped at a crucial point in the game in L's opinion and he was eager to continue. He was actually getting vital insight into Light's psyche that the game excited him. Light hadn't revealed anything that indicated that he may be Kira, but the mental dossier he was formulating on Light Yagami was very insightful.

The Kira Case was not a game, but sometimes he felt like he was in a cat and mouse contest with Kira.

He had to think of things like a snowflake, Kira's unique influence ever branching out amongst the masses. People engaging in religious tones to Kira's god-like power. 'Kira's Kingdom', a television program that preached like a cult, was cause for concern. And L wonder if the religious Crusades in the Middle Ages started this way, then spread like wildfire.

But L could understand some of the anger he saw from people. How crime had run rampant before the advent of Kira. Now, crime was down seventy-percent. Who wanted to go back to such uncertain times?

But no, Kira had to be stopped at all costs!

Light Yagami looked to have fallen asleep in his cell. He lay on the floor, handcuffed with his back to the camera.

L stared at the camera, but Light hadn't been sleeping well lately. Stress of being accused of Kira and/or the overall situation had more or less kept Light awake. Maybe he had finally calmed down and was getting some well needed rest? Had the game had eased his mind somewhat? They say talking things out helps the mind cope with complex issues and problems.

Light suddenly shifted his body and looked up at the camera, or tried to, with his hair plastered across his face. He wiggled up to a sitting position and then whipped his head around to throw it out of his eyes.

Light's hair had grown longer since he had been incarcerated. L thought that was remarkable. Light's hair grew so fast and it had only been roughly two weeks since he was jailed.

"I thought you were sleeping, you look tired," said L, his voice reverberated through the speaker.

Light was tired and he had bags under his eyes. "Insomnia, maybe?"

"Normally when I can't sleep, there's something on my mind. Care to confess something? Ease your mind?"

"I'm not Kira!" Light snapped.

"Very well," L said plainly.

"Shall we continue where we left off in the game?"

"Agreed," L said. "The game is only between us. The Task Force doesn't know about it. Not like we're hiding anything. Okay. If I recall, I asked you why you felt bored? And I know the score is tied. It's a follow-up inquiry."

"I thought I already answered that?"

"You did, but we were interrupted by the others. And you never did give a definitive answer. You pussy-footed around the question. You said this game keep you occupied, but that is not what I asked you."

"Fine. Honestly, I suppose life isn't providing me with enough challenges. Things just seem to come easy for me."

"That's very arrogant, especially when you're sitting in a jail cell."

"I'm referring to before all this Kira stuff. I felt bored in school and of life in general, I was just going through the motions. I wanted a worthy challenge."

"So you struck a bond with a Shinigami to give you supernatural powers beyond your wildest dreams and used them to kill without restraint?"

Light's eyes narrowed with disdain. "You know, you're starting to become platitudinal, repeatedly accusing me of being someone or something I'm not, and have never been. Just stop it!"

"Sometimes annoyance is the best method to get a confession. Annoy the person enough and they'll confess to a crime just so they won't be subjected to the same question repeatedly, or they slip up, caught in a lie. It's standard police procedure."

"Well, that won't work with me."

"I'm starting to get that impression. Your tolerance is greater and you're remarkably strong willed. Most people would have cracked under the pressure by now."

"A calm and logical mind always wins. I want to help you find Kira, if you'd let me?"

L didn't reply to Light's question. "You said something about life being easy for you." He worded it as a statement instead of a question. "Care to elaborate?"

"Yes," Light replied. "Most people strive to have half of what I was given to me naturally: brains and good looks."

"Attitude is what allies itself with a person's psyche to give them perception of what _is_ ," L said philosophically. "A person can find any aspect of a person to like, brains or looks. Some people would say you're ugly."

"And they'd be wrong. I'm the quintessential equivalent of a person with movie star sex appeal," Light said with a coy smile. "I remember overhearing some of the To-Oh University student body comparing us, that I looked like someone bred for success and you were a mad genius."

"Yes, I overheard the same thing at the podium just before we were to give our speeches at the university Entrance Ceremony," L said straightly. "But I don't concern myself with other's opinions. Self worth is paramount to one's own mental health. Proper diet and exercise helps the body, too. And may I add, you're looking a little thin, Light."

"Which begs a very interesting question, how come you eat so many sweets and never gain weight?"

L hesitated for a moment. He wasn't sure if he wanted to reveal such personal information. He did anyway. "Sweets help stabilize my blood sugar," L revealed.

"Oh…" A surprise look came to Light's face on the monitor. "Low blood sugar usually indicates diabetes."

"No," L answered. "It's a thyroid problem. It's been medically checked." He realized immediately that he had said that quite tartly.

"But what if something happens to you? Don't you want people to know? And no, these are not part of the Q & A. I'm generally concerned for your well-being."

"You needn't be worried. If something happens to me, things will be taken care of. Watari will see to it."

"Do you have a successor?"

L's brow rose. That was a dangerous question and something equally precarious to reveal to one's enemy. He didn't want to answer that. And yet, several were in the running. "I think we've deviated from the game. Let's return to it."

"Okay," Light agreed. "You ask me a question. I don't have one to ask you at the moment."

L nodded. "Question: If you could change anything about yourself, what would it be?"

"I wish I could more confident."

"You appear to have an abundance of confidence. I don't see that being a disadvantage for you. Having power over others can do that, you don't seem as confident as you were when you first arrived here."

"Do I really need to repeat myself?"

"Yes, you've already stated you're not Kira. You seem completely adamant about it. But if I were you, and I was suddenly given a god power, I'd be tempted to change the world, too. Crime, corruption, and injustice—it's what I live to change. But it's a fantasy to think I can do more than I can. And I use my brain. Using a supernatural gift would be like cheating at a game of chess."

"We can only do what we can; nothing more," Light said. "It'd be foolish to admit that our justice system is perfect."

"And I would agree. The score is eleven to ten in my favour. Ask question of me now."

"What was your childhood like?" Light asked with a certain amount of caution to his voice.

Asking L's real name was forbidden in the game, and asking about his past was equally risky. But L found himself answering it without hesitation. "In retrospect, I felt it was very stagnate. Living in an orphanage wasn't a pleasant experience. Not having parental figures, you miss out on a lot, and your family history is unknown."

"Then you make a new history," Light said. "Many people would feel free, unburdened by the accomplishments of their parents or grandparents. You wouldn't need to step up and continue already established traditions, or bring shame to your family if you do something against the norm. Being an orphan, you have no restrictions. It's kind of a rebirth."

"You give it such a majestic context," L answered. "But you'd be wrong, everyone wants to know their heritage. It gives them a sense of self-worth. Your parents must have told you about your descendants?"

"Of course. But the Yagami family name, as it is today, doesn't have a long history. It's a hybrid of two surnames names, bringing two families together. The Yagami name originated in Japan, but a distant member of our family on my mother's side actually immigrated from England with his family, and one of his descendants married into the family." Light paused for a moment. "I think her surname was named _Savant_ , or something?"

L felt a chill run down his spine. "Did you say _Savant_?"

Light nodded. His brow furrowed, thinking. "I _think_ that was her name? I'd have to ask my mother to be sure."

"Was your distant relative named Joseph Savant?" L asked with a degree of serious inquiry.

"Yes, I believe so. It does sound familiar. I was told he was a little crazy and worshipped satanic gods, or something. He was heavily into cults. That doesn't mean I act like him, I'm _not_ Kira."

Light's voice trailed off, as L suddenly ignored him.

L searched a folder on his computer desktop labeled "Special Files". He had asked Watari a couple of weeks back to send him the files because he wanted to review something. Little did he know their importance would come up associated with Light Yagami.

When he was after Kira, he searched cults and satanic worship, thinking Kira may have had a connection to them, which could've contributed to his supernatural powers.

The Special Files contained information on a cultist group called the Society, also known as _The Savant Society_ , founded over a hundred years ago by a man named Joseph Savant. Now, if Light was somehow related to this man, it could be a missing piece of the puzzle L needed to fully understand why a Shinigami, as such, would associate itself with him, giving him deathly powers. Cults were associated with communicating with and conjuring up demons and spirits. Could Light's spirit have drawn such a thing, if it could be believed?

L shook his head. It was mere conjecture.

Or, it could just be a coincidence? And Light was mistaken about his heritage?

From what L could recall from the files, members of the Society, and other cults of this nature, were similar to the Masons in America or the Illuminati. They were said to have great influential reach within all branches of government and political circles, while keeping their associations secret from the world, and were favoured to associate with supernatural tidings.

If Light had somehow been working with the Society while he was Kira up until he agreed to turn himself in, then that would explain, no matter how ridiculous sounding, why Light then lost his powers after being incarcerated, erasing his memory of them, by some method of mind control, so he couldn't expose them. The words: " _Get Rid Of It_ ", an instruction for him to recite if ever he got into trouble. If he couldn't kill within a certain amount days, this trigger would then make him forget he was Kira.

_No, I'm reaching again,_ he admonished himself. _I have no evidence to back up any of it._

"What's wrong, Ryuzaki? You've gone quiet again," Light asked.

L shook all controversial ideas out of his head. He was a detective. His conclusions were based on fact and concrete evidence, not cultist conjecture. "What do you know about Joseph Savant, Light?"

Light took a moment to think. "Not sure, really," he said. "I do seem to recall he was a brilliant philanthropist and financial genius, earning a great amount of capital to purchase and convert a large Monastery once owned by Buddhist monks into a private residence at the base of Mount Fuji. It still exists, in fact. Pristine, well kept up, and lived in."

"Yes, and run by some cultist group known as the Society."

"Really? I didn't know that. What is this cult group?"

"It's basically a religious group, but very little is known about it. It also has another name: The Savant Society."

"You're joking?" Light's eyes widened in surprise.

"You may have just stirred the Kira Case in another direction with new information. Frankly, the case has gone cold with you and Misa Amane being incarcerated here." He had told Light she was here, too, suspected of being the Second Kira. L thought if Light knew, he may try to pin everything on her. But that didn't happen. Light had acted surprised.

"Do you think Kira is a member of this Savant Society?"

"He may or may have been, but that's privileged information now," L said. He suddenly became very cold, and his mind was now beginning to take the Kira Case in a whole new direction.

"But I want to help!" Light protested.

"You've already did, perhaps tremendously."

"How?"

But L suddenly muted the audio. He wanted to think. Light's mouth was moving, but he paid no attention to him.

Light had provided an interesting path in which to proceed.

The Kira Case had grown cold, but Light's unexpected and potential ancestry had provided some fire back into it. He decided he wouldn't tell the Task Force about it, or Light's father. They'd only panic. He needed them level-headed, not focused on this. He would of course inform Watari, his most trusted confidant, and see if he could dig up some more information on the Society.

He needed more information, and he didn't dare speculate on anything right now. It was too easy to let his mind wander.

Light Yagami's personality was conclusively different from that of what L had observed of Kira, but he still had doubts whether Light and Misa's memory loss was truly sincere or both were conspiring to play him like a fool.

Nevertheless, he would keep them both here until he was totally convinced of their innocence, and that could take a very long time.

Light was now screaming at him on the monitor, obviously exasperated and angry, aware that he was being ignored.

This was the most bizarre case L had ever undertaken and now it seemed it had just gotten a whole lot bigger.

But he was L, the world's greatest detective. Regardless of how arrogant that sounded, there was no case he couldn't solve!

The game was now tied at eleven, but as far as L was concerned it was over.

_To be continued..._


	35. Information Gathering

Demetre hadn't been able to sit for a couple of days after the _Initiation Ceremony_ in the _Praxeum_ where he got the symbol of the Savant Society branded onto his right butt cheek. He also had to sleep on his stomach which he didn't normally do.

But Dana was there to help him. And she pampered him like a little baby with a rash on his bottom, spreading cream on the area three to four times a day, then favoured him like an adult when he was a 'good boy'.

Zurn Wellington had not been seen in days and no one knew where he had disappeared. But rumour had it that he had now had a connection to the elusive thief and escape artist Bryant Harvey, whose illicit deeds bordered on the magical. Law enforcement could not catch him and Harvey was able to flaunt his inescapable charm everywhere he went. Some even claimed that Kira was protecting him and if they tried to stop 'The Ferret', a nickname the media had given him because he could slip in-and-out of any bank or other financial institution with little effort, they would be killed—by Kira's ever known heart attacks!

Demetre had lost control of Bryant Harvey, Zurn had told him as such when Demetre was being tortured in the _Obedience Room_. But if his theory was correct, Zurn now had control of Harvey and was still using Kira's influence to manipulate him. Nothing was for sure and if the Savant Council got whim of such a thing, Zurn would be in serious trouble. But without proof, nothing could be done. Even so, Zurn was the Savant Society's main enforcer and he knew were the bodies were buried, per se.

As for Light Yagami, Demetre was given the task of hunting him down, and if possible, to bring him in to the Savant Society. But he wondered for what purpose? Was it to punish Light for his misuse of the Death Note, or to take the Death Note away from him, then remove any chance of him getting hold of one again, which meant death. Sufficed to say, unless Light relinquished ownership of his Death Note, or Ryuk wrote Light's name down in his Death Note, the Savant Society was out of luck.

Besides, Light had been missing for over a month. He even asked Light's family where he was because he had not been at the university as of late—neither had he—but Light's mother said that he had taken a surprise sabbatical with his father to prepare for his entry into the NPA. That seemed like a lie, but he didn't say so to Mrs. Yagami's face. So, he had Geist fly around to search for Ryuk. Ryuk was also no where to be found, which Demetre found was both surprising and mysterious.

Had something happened to Light Yagami that not even his mother and sister knew about? And where was Light's father?

However, he did learn that _The League of Darkness_ was looking for Light, too, and likely to recruit him.

As Kira, Light would give the League extreme power over the masses. Light Yagami was not bound by the rules laid down by the Shinigami King and the Shinigami Elite, and regulated by _The Savant Society_.

Light was able to kill without restriction as per the Death Note contract he and Ryuk established.

How a person used a Death Note was up to them, but when it came to those subjected amongst _The Savant Society_ and even _The League of Darkness_ , every one of their Death Notes had a hidden rule that unless authorization was given by a higher power, no Shinigami, nor human handler, had permission to murder another creature with the Death Note unless it was for self-preservation—which put a crimp in the League's desire to rule over the masses. Then again, even evil had a set of rules to govern by.

When Demetre was told about The League of Darkness, he was shocked. But as long as The Savant Society was around, the League was held a bay—a Cold War entrenched between the League had power, there were strength in numbers, for which the Society held.

The leader of _The League of Darkness_ , Todd Van Der Hydren, was a distant cousin of Joseph Savant, the birther of _The Savant Society_ , many years ago. The Savant Society was established as a bridge between the spiritual world and the human one and Joseph Savant was said to have been able to speak with the dead. Rumour had it, he was the first to make a contract with a Shinigami, and even visited the Shinigami Realm to speak with the Shinigami King. A deal was then struck, a peace treaty, and the Society was born, giving Shinigami free-reign in the Human World with an established set of rules to follow.

Demetre felt a little silly having to attend school to learn about the history of _The Savant Society_ , but it was certainly a huge help in understanding the magnitude of what the Society had established and is diversity of Shinigami. There were many different types of Shinigami, and some could even cast magic spells in liul of a Death Note. However, one such Spell Caster was also Todd Van Der Hydren's Shinigami, called 'Summoner', and she had helped build the League. She was very dangerous.

But everyday, Demetre grew stronger and more knowledgable about Shinigami and their powers. The Death Note was just one gift Shinigami had. And he was now a part this a vast community of beings with emotions and desires.

Some Shinigami were very playful. Some were mischievous. And some, needed a lot of discipline. But most were civil and nice, and that brought new meaning the word irony, for the very nature of a 'god of death' was to kill with malicious, selfish intent.

He also finally got to meet Dana's Shinigami, named Angel. A beautiful, angelic, spiritual being, with a goddess-like appearance, and a face to match. She had a human-esque like face with pale blue skin, and large, dark, flowing silvery hair. Angel also had white wings with a full-body, light pink suit, deep-red, knee-high boots, similar-colour gloves that reached all the way up to her upper arms, a silver, breast-plate that kept in—Demetre had to admit—very large breasts, and a silver pelvic cod piece that wrapped around her mid-section, with of course, a belt and a pouch to hold her Death Note.

And from the very moment Geist saw her, Demetre knew he had become smitten with Angel, even going so far as to give her baskets-full of apples daily, like a teen boy would give a girl flowers he liked. To A Shinigami, apples were like sweet chocolate. And even though Geist looked like a walking skeleton with hollow pockets for eyes, Angel seemed taken with him, as well.

Demetre knew he was going to like it at _The Savant Society_.

* * *

When she arrived at the Savant Mansion a few months back, before he had ever heard of the Savant Society, Demetre knew Naomi Misora had had an encounter with Light Yagami.

Her fiancee Raye Penber had been one of the twelve FBI agents that Kira had murdered in his plight to keep his secret safe and to evoke fear into the masses, to say: _If you try to catch me, I will kill you!_ Light managed to prevent Naomi from pursuing an investigation against Kira, telling L her theories about him, and wrote her name in his Death Note persuading her to trust him.

From eye-witness accounts, a Shinigami and its handler, who had been assigned to follow Light, authorized by the Society, saw Light follow and then convince Misora that he was her ally and that he was a member of the Kira Task Force. Demetre read the report the two Society members had written about the incident and the aftermath.

The moment Naomi Misora had been subjected to the Death Note's influence and was out of sight of Light Yagami, they snatched her, and prevented Misora from harming herself. But they only had a limited window to do so, or she would simply die of a heart attack, if she couldn't complete the task—her instructed method of suicide—that Light had written down.

According to the report that Demetre now read, the Shinigami placed a _Mythical Forcefield Encasement_ around Misora's heart to prevent the Death Note's influence, a special skill Spell Caster Shinigami had, but to a lesser degree than to 'Summoner', the Shinigami bonded to the leader of The League of Darkness, who's power usurped all other Shinigami Spell Casters.

But her state of mind was another matter. And they rushed her back to the Society for treatment, because her psychological mindset had quickly become chaotic, unable to complete the Death Note task.

Without the ability to die by self-harm or by heart attack, the Death Note then caused a breakdown in the mentality. It was a rare thing, because the Death Note didn't fail once a person's name was written down. But the Shinigami had cast a spell around her heart preventing her death, her other organs not extorted to the Death Note's prejudice.

The report said that when she was brought back to the Savant Mansion, she acted like a woman gone insane, and Misora had to be strapped to a medical bed for her own safety. After she was secured, oddly enough, Adam Rothschild had been summoned, and he preformed a kind of exorcism on her which quieted her mind and put her into a deep sleep. The eight-year-old kid had the ability to touch a person's mind and extract information. He also had the unusual ability to influence a person's feelings, to calm them, so a person could be more easily controlled. It was a form of ESP, but from Adam's dossier, he hadn't fully developed it yet, and was getting training from Tacoma, who had experience in helping develop a person's special skills.

Demetre sat on the couch in his quarters as he read the report he was authorized to have by Tacoma. Dana was off doing a few chores for her father. He was a high-ranking official of the Savant Society and had introduced Dana to Angel, her Shinigami, and the reason why she had disappeared for five years without a trace. Dana said she was scared when she first learned about the Society and the existence of 'god's of death', but she soon became used to it—as did Demetre with Geist.

Unfortunately, some people weren't so lucky who encountered a Death Note. Naomi Misora was one of them. Months ago, she arrived in a state of chaos, but now, she was a willing and contributing member of _The Savant Society_. Only, there was a catch. In order for the Death Note's influence to become annulled, a special ceremony had to be conducted, and with Adam's help, Misora's memories of her encounter with Light Yagami were erased, but so were her memories of her fiancee, and her entire identity. She basically became a completely amnesiac when it came to her sense-of-self. It was the only way to save her.

Without an identity for the Death Note to latch onto, the Death Note could not work. Even if the cosmic universe knew who the person was—at birth, once christened by a name, it is embedded within the 'Universe Construct' (THAT which created the cosmos)—if the vessel no longer believed they were they person, then the string for the Death Note's supplication was cut.

Naomi Misora was a valuable member of the Society, but just in different capacity than she was in her old life. There was something to be said about "muscle memory", and she used her old detective skills in her current line-of-work. She was now a Special Investigator for the Society, and from Demetre heard, she had been even given her first assignment.

She was on the hunt for a killer who enjoyed a Jack The Ripper sense of monstrosity.

Demetre had met her, shook hands with her, and she liked to smile a lot. That came from forgetting a life time of problems and people. She welcomed her "new" role in life. She knew she had forgotten her memories, but that didn't stop her from living. She just used her skills to help others in a similar but divergent capacity.

He was glad to have the new Naomi Misora on board, her name the only thing she remembered of who she _once_ was.

_To be continued..._


	36. Light And Misa, Freed From Jail

In reflection, Light Yagami felt unnerved and a little angry. He couldn't believe that his father would participate in such a shocking masquerade perpetrated by L that would frighten him to near death. But truthfully, the ends did justify the means.

And it did prove that he was not Kira even after nearly fifty days of incarceration.

Having his father's gun pointed in his face still left him a little shaken. And his father pulling the trigger despite using blanks shocked him. What if something had gone wrong? What if the bullet was accidentally real, or his father's gun backfired, or any number of things that could have unintentionally caused them their lives for a stupid stunt?

The reason for the stunt was he and Misa were to be executed for being suspected of Kira and the Second Kira, even though there wasn't an ounce of proof. Light's father drove them to a secluded spot for a private killing instead of to a schedule execution site. When the playacting ended, and certain truths were revealed, a previous, pre-arranged deal was enlisted.

L said by their deaths, Kira would cease to be. And the case could be closed. So, a mock staging of an assassination would take place. With L watching via a hidden camera in Soichiro's Yagami's car, he thought he would finally get the proof he needed to prove Light was Kira. But it didn't happen.

In the back of his father's car, handcuffed, Light passed the test. If he was Kira, or Misa was the Second Kira, survival would be paramount, and he or Misa would kill Soichiro Yagami for self-preservation. This was L's theory. But it didn't happen the way he envisioned it. Therefore, Light and Misa were freed on a few conditions, and a partnership was struck.

Shaking hands to cement this partnership, Light agreed to join the Kira Task Force to hunt down Kira, as the killings had now continued, but with another Kira— _a Third Kira_.

It had been theorized that Kira's power was transferable. So, no matter what, it was an unending chase to catch the 'next' Kira, and L still didn't know how Kira made his killings—no one did. It was back to square one.

But L held true to his original conviction that Light was Kira, despite not knowing how he got Kira's power or his method of killing. And to Light, being suspected of being a mass murderer was something he desperately wanted to annul himself of. He knew for sure that he was not Kira!

It had been nearly two months, save a few days, since Light's incarceration by L and Light felt mentally and physically drained, there were times he wondered whether L's accusation that he was Kira was true. But Light hated self-doubt. He wanted to know how Kira killed, and how such a person could obtain such supernatural power?

Indeed, these were two similar questions L was trying to answer.

Foremost, how could he help Ryuzaki take some of the pressure off his father, who looked tired and was still recovering from a mild stress-induced heart attack that was turning his father's hair white. Light wanted to prove to Ryuzaki his innocence, catch Kira, and then have his father take a nice long vacation, while he went back to school to finish university, so he could join the NPA. That was his plan.

After a long, soothing shower, Light felt energized.

He now knew he could finally be able to accomplish something instead of rotting away in that makeshift cell playing twenty questions with Ryuzaki. They eventually finished the game, but after the mention of one of his ancestors named Savant, L seemed less interested in the game. He even asked his father about the name Savant, but his father had little or no information.

But freedom had a price and Ryuzaki thought it best to attach himself to Light by a ten foot long piece of chain attached to matching handcuffs.

Misa objected, but Light agreed, otherwise it was back to his cell.

"With modern technology," Light said, looking at the medieval handcuffs, "an ankle bracket or some sort of GPS tracing device would suffice. But beggars can't be choosers."

"No, you can't," L retorted. "I prefer a basic approach to things. Simplify things to the point of a near zero-percentage of error. Technology can be hacked and manipulated. A chain attached to two people has only two methods of escape. Unlock it or cut it, impossible for the other not to notice."

"It will be inconvenient at times, especially when it comes to privacy," Light remarked. "But I accepted it. I promised to work with you on the Kira Case. And we'll catch Kira together."

"That's a bold statement," L smiled thinly, which he rarely did. "I like your positivity. I find it infectious. Let me show you something that might help us."

L then showed Light and the Task Force a computer simulation of high-rise building. It was fully built, housed in downtown Kanto, and designed to appear like a simple office building. But it was solely for the Kira Task Force, a permanent headquarters. And L further explained, it would house the latest state-of-the-technology to aid them in their fight against Kira.

Everyone was ecstatic, someone even asked how much it cost to build. But L ignored the question.

One week later, they moved in. And the accommodations were luxurious.

But Light was more mesmerized by the epicentre computer network that Watari set up than anything else. Their work area was spacious, almost lofty in appearance with furniture set aside in its own lounge area if they needed to relax. The building had central air, video surveillance, and mini-apartments.

But when he learned he would have to be sharing a room with Ryuzaki, Light wasn't happy. Nor did it make Misa happy.

Light and Ryuzaki were to stay together 24/7. Ryuzaki said he wouldn't take the handcuffs off for anything. And he meant anything, even showering. There was a communal shower.

But after a few days, once things settled down, as well as people and emotions, Light, Misa and Ryuzaki sat together in a furnished room that was under surveillance by the rest of the Task Force. Misa wanted to go on an official date with Light, but L had to come with them. To Misa, it wasn't much of one, and the old axiom rang true: _two's a company, three's a crowd_.

Misa started to pout, and Light felt the stiffing atmosphere.

Light disliked Misa's emotional outbursts. He thought they were both unbecoming of such a famous celebrity and a woman who believed she had found the guy of her dreams, wanting all his attention. She was obviously a very jealous person.

Yet, there was something feign in her eyes that told Light only of her admiration of _Kira_ , not of him, despite her blatantly disagreeing when asked. Light considered her affection one-sided; he didn't care for her. She was not his type.

He remembered Misa telling him about her parents. They were killed by a burglar, then Kira murdered her parents' killer with a heart attack. Light knew what was happening was called Stockholm Syndrome; it was an English term where the victim of a crime fell in love with their captor, or savour; the savour being Kira, indirectly involved with saving her from a life of despair.

But as she told it, she just woke up one day and had a crush on Light after she saw Light somewhere.

Misa cuddled up to Light's right side, putting one arm under his arm as they sat on a couch, her emotions instantly changing.

From a psychological point-of-view, Light found it fascinating the vast array of emotions Misa could exhibit in a short period of time. She was literally an emotional mess and could have been a perfect candidate for Kira's manipulations and brainwashing, if that was part and parcel of how Kira controlled his victims.

Light had no feelings towards Misa. He didn't even remember how they met. It was like she just appeared out of the blue, that she had at one time been a part of his life, but now forgotten, and he had complete amnesia. But even if he was looking for a girl to date, she would not be on the high list. Kiyomi Takada would be at the top, along with his long lost love Dana Chika.

Light gave Misa the cold shoulder and suddenly she moved off.

She crossed her arms, and said, "Your weird vibes must be affecting Light, Ryuzaki." She then pointed at the handcuffs and chain. "He's ignoring me! You may like all this kinky stuff, but I bet Light is weirded out about it, it's showing."

"I'm not ignoring you, Misa," Light said back. However, he did wish for her to go away, so he could talk with Ryuzaki alone. He didn't want to be on this date.

"I want to be close to you, Light," she said. "What's the point in being boyfriend and girlfriend, if you won't pay attention to me? We're old enough. How about I give you an erotic massage? I'm very good with my hands. It'll release all that tension you have pent up inside and I bet you have a lot to release. You can give it all to me. You'll thank me later, I promise."

Light blushed and was momentary speechless.

Misa then wrapped her arm around Light's arm again and squeezed. And with a brief glance over, Light saw L stopping himself from smirking to see him so utterly speechless and helpless in the hands of this overly obsessive woman.

"If it wasn't for these stupid handcuffs, we could be alone," Misa said to L, upset. "I see, you want Light all for yourself! I never knew you were into stuff like _that_?"

Light knew exactly what Misa meant, but he didn't see Ryuzaki like that. He knew the reason behind the handcuffs and he accepted it. Misa obviously had a warped mind. Misa was immature, and to engage in an immature conversion would only be fruitless. But he had to admit, she had a nice body. They would be friends only.

After a friendship speech by Misa, where she said she would never betray her friends—she even gave L a peck on the cheek—and the whole dancing around thing afterwards to celebrate, with Misa the lead—even the flashback gave Light embarrassment—they all had sat back down. Light and L had a few chose words beforehand as to how to go forward with the investigation, but ultimately with Light and L handcuffed, they would have to work together, even though Light had said he elusively wanted to work with his father. The circumstances wouldn't warrant it. It was the entire Task Force, or back to jail.

L cocked his head slightly and sighed. The detective reached for a plate of cake on the coffee table in front of him, cut off a piece with a fork, and ate it.

"Light, make Misa be quiet," L then said conversationally.

Light thought L looked depressed, and asked him why.

L then told him that he wanted both of them to be Kira and the Second Kira so he could close the case. He felt so strongly about his conviction that he had broken a cardinal rule and got personally involved. Now, despite everything he had gone through, all his theories and conjectures, sacrifices—all of it brought doubt to his own abilities, and this is what depressed him.

He then went on to say that he considered Light and Misa completely different people than first they came to him.

The way they were acting now was either a very good secular act or they were truly suffering from complete amnesia, and if this was the case, then it was back to square one, and that depressed him further.

"I truly don't know where to go from here," L then said, and sighed.

_To be continued..._


	37. Taking The Investigation In A New Direction

Light could see L was despondent, but he had no way to know how to cheer him up. Words of encouragement? Unfortunately, he knew L would see straight through that. And he knew what the detective was upset about.

L hadn't said anything for the last two minutes. All he did was stare into space with a fork in his mouth after a last bite of cake. It was obvious what L was doing. L pretended to be thinking, but in truth, the detective was sulking—that Light wasn't Kira.

They had sat back down after a little argument which ended in fist-to-cuffs.

Light had punched L, and L returned in kind by kicking Light, sending them both into the couch.

They were about to beat the other's brains out, when Matsuda called into the lounge room. He had been watching in the Kira Task Force epicentre, and said something stupid—something about a popularity poll in this month's teen online Bop magazine involving Misa, and she was number one. Regardless, it had worked.

Handcuffed by a lengthy chain, they had sat back down, after Light had forcefully agreed to work with L on the Kira Case, even though he really wanted to solely work with his father. In truth, he felt uncomfortable with the detective and on edge.

Misa sat in a chair next to them.

"I wish we had finished our fight," Light said, a little disappointed.

"It wasn't a fight, Light. You were venting and I was the immediate target for your aggression, nothing more."

"You'd given up! That's why I got angry!"

"I haven't given up," L said. "I'm merely reevaluating my priorities, I have to think." L got into a more comfortable crouch. And he seemed to stare at the floor, at the piece of fallen cake that was knocked over during their fight.

"Now that I've joined the team, we need to get more aggressive," Light spoke up, not caring if it interrupted L's contemplation. "Stomp down hard on suspects, obtain leads, and bring the media back to our side. I don't care what Kira threatened them with!"

"And whoever said you were a part of the team?"

Light's mouth went agape. He lifted his arm with the chain. "But I thought...And these...?"

"I told you, before our little tête-à-tête a moment ago, that we are to be together 24/7. I don't like it either, and I don't care what it looks like. But I said nothing about teaming up with you. I have the Kira Task Force for that. You are my prime suspect, as Misa is my second. Why would I involve _you_ in an investigation targeting _you_?"

Light frowned. "You're being unreasonable, I could be a valuable asset to the team," he said. "I want to catch Kira, too!"

"To prove your innocence, isn't that right?"

"No! I mean, yes! And I want to stop these mass murders."

"You really do have a nasty temper," L said pointedly. "It's very unbecoming for a person of your intelligence."

"I only get mad when people fail to act when a situation calls for it, like accepting someone who wants to help you! I also get angry when people do nothing when there are still options. When I punched you, I reacted because it sounded like you were giving up. I wanted to knock some sense into you. Sometimes extreme actions must be taken to awaken people. And to set the record straight here and now, I am not, nor have ever been Kira. You're _wrong_ , but you seem reluctant to accept the truth!"

"I'm never _wrong_ , and I'll state that _truth_ right now. But when I am _wrong_ , I freely admit it. The facts spoke for themselves based on the information collected at the time. In whatever capacity, you two were involved with Kira…whether you were willing or it was against your will. Yet now you have completely forgotten any connection to Kira, or even each other. But I am _not_ wrong."

Light crossed his arms. "Fine. For the sake of argument, and only that, say our memories are erased. How?" He put a hand to his head and ruffled through his hair for a bump. "I don't feel I was hit. Or is it too late to test for chemical induced amnesia?"

"No, you were in the jail cell alone. And something about you just… _changed_. Your facial expression and eyes just brightened up, while previously you sat scowling. I can't explain the sudden change in you. And then Misa: tight-lipped and withdrawn, then very talkative; she wouldn't shut up. She even called me a pervert when I wouldn't release her from her straight-jacket. And whether it was moment of desperation, she offered herself to me."

"I was trying to get you to let me go," Misa said. "I would've done anything for you to release me."

"You're both exceptionally strong-willed, I admire that," L said, "but it's also a trait of my profile of Kira."

"By that token, ninety-nine percent of the world's population is in the same boat," Light replied, "a world filled with Kira's. It's a character trait most people have and honed according to an individual's life experiences. With what we know about Misa's parents, killed by a burglar, her admiration of Kira would fall into line with a strong will in secession with Kira's ideals."

"Hey!" Misa protested. "Don't make me out to be the villain!"

L put a hand up, quieting her. "Go on, Light, continue."

"I'm saying, my drive for truth and justice is because of my father. He's the person I admire most. And the fact he's still working on the Kira Case despite everything he's gone through, even after a heart attack, makes me honoured to be his son."

"Trite sentimentally," L said, "but it is a reasonable explanation to carry on."

"That and my strong belief in what's right and wrong."

"Ah," L said, smugly. "Or what you perceive is _right_ and _wrong_. Debate can be had on the different variances of right and wrong. In fact, there are philosophical symposiums held on these concepts several times a year."

Light looked confused. "Semantics and you know it," he said. "Those who fail to stick by their beliefs are hypocrites. That's what I believe. Rules are put in places to protect the public interest."

"So, you believe I'm a hypocrite, because I won't arrest you and lock up for the rest of your life for what I believe in? At the rate of sounding arrogant, I'm the most famous detective alive. What I say, people believe without question. I said you were Kira and the Task Force followed my lead. But, a person's point of view can change from minute to minute with new information. The true hypocrites are the one's who ignore the truth when faced with it. The world is littered with hypocrisy."

Light felt slightly taken aback. "I've never heard you talk so passionately about a subject, Ryuzaki, unless it's about Kira. It's uncharacteristic, but also quite refreshing. You're definitely frustrated, like I am. But you're twisting my words. You know there are always circumstances to ever crime, an exception to every rule. Not all of them are known, but there's always a reason."

L nodded. "Like your friend Hachiko?" he said. (ref: to my Death Note Novelette: " _No Exception To The Rule_ ")

Light cocked his head. "I suppose so…" was all he replied.

"Kira's motives are simple. However, there's an undercurrent to his killings that I want to know about. His childish notion of a perfect utopia without individuality is foolish and he knows it. Kira murders criminals. Murder is a crime. That makes Kira a murderer, a criminal, a hypocrite. He undermines his own premise for justice. I'll find out how Kira kills, this I assure you."

There was a staunch seriousness in L's eyes that made Light gulp and he recalled the old axiom: " _To catch a killer, you must think like a killer._ "

"Where do you think Kira's powers go? Into someone else?" Light wondered. "Do you think Kira's victims are discarded when their usefulness is ended and their memories are erased, so Kira can't be fingered? Is Kira supernatural?"

"That is yet to be confirmed," L said. "But our twenty questions game did provide me some very valuable insight that warrants consideration."

"Namely what?"

"You mentioned a family ancestor, Joseph Savant. According to records I've been able to collect, the mansion he purchased and then expanded upon, once a Buddhist monastery, and now the home to a religious cult known as the Savant Society, located at the bottom of Mount Fuji, is a quiet, reserved place. But I do feel this cult can provide further clues to the Kira Case."

"How? I've never heard of them."

"Not many people have. But my sources indicate this cult is heavily involved in Satanic rituals and witchcraft. On the surface, it could mean nothing. However, the mention of Shinigami (gods of death) in the Second Kira's videos on Sakura TV may give us a clue to the identity of Kira or how he gets his powers."

"So you want to investigate this _Society_? Maybe we should just concentrate on what clues we can gather here. I still don't get why you want to get involved in this cult?"

"Your ancestry may be the clue I've been looking for and why these powers exist."

"Now you're just talking crazy. Maybe you need to lie down for a while. My ancestry may only be a coincidence."

"I don't believe in coincidences," L said. "A good investigator must evaluate all clues no matter how non-germane. Anything can lead to a major break-through and an angle not before realized. That is the key to true detective work, Light."

"Okay, but we're assuming _the Savant Society_ has something to do with Kira."

"Since the moment you mentioned Savant, I had Watari look into _the Savant Society_ further, and we discovered a startling detail. I even had a friend conduct some fieldwork. And no, I won't tell you his name. He found out that your friend Demetre Draycott is a member. Watari intercepted a phone conversion involving an unidentified member and confirmed it."

Light was shocked. "Demmy is a member of this cult? He's a very religious person, he would never get involved in something like _the Savant Society_. Anything demonic, he would immediately denounce. He's a full-fledged Christian."

"Demmy?"

"A nickname, what I've called him ever since we were kids. We both go to To-Oh University, too. We have nicknames for each other. And under no circumstances will I tell you what he sometimes calls me. He only calls me it when he tries to mock me."

L nodded. "I don't care for nicknames," he said flatly.

"But you don't mind pseudonyms."

"I use them to hide my identity from killers. As for your friend, I know he and you attend the same university, or did. I met him at To-Oh when we apprehended Misa. He witnessed the kidnapping. We had a little talk afterwards about it. He seemed generally understanding and he promised he wouldn't say anything about it. But Watari has come across some information that may shock you, Light. For several weeks now since your incarceration, Watari and I have been expanding our search for other Kira suspects, and we undertook an extensive review of all your friends. Light, what I'm trying to say is, Demetre Draycott may be deeply involved with this cult. We don't know in what capacity, but he's been visiting the mansion extensively since your capture and with an unknown female companion. Making trips home to see his family, then back again."

"Then let me talk to him, get some information. We've best friends, and we don't keep secrets."

L's eyes narrowed. "Everyone has secrets," he said. "You can't possibly know everything about another person. Children are innocent; lying is a concept foreign to them. But to a young adult, lying is a prerequisite. You lied to your father when you hid your adult magazines in those hollowed out books, remember?"

Light gulped, his face flushed mildly. "That's different and you know it," he said defensively, a little embarrassed when he recalled. And he had quite a few.

"When we confiscated your dairy, we took those as well. You have very good taste in woman, and I can see you enjoy looking at women with big breasts. So, I'm curious why you and Misa aren't a couple?"

"Yeah," Misa said, fixing her bra. "He likes big breasts and he cannot lie. Ooo baby!"

Light felt his temperature rise as Misa mocked the lyrics to an American song. He even gave a passing glance at Misa's breasts. The true lyrics to the song were: "I like big butts and I cannot lie…Baby Got Back!" by a black American song artist MC Hammer. It was one of his favourite songs. He was a teenager and he liked what he liked, that was just the way he was.

"Getting back to the original conversion," Light cleared his throat. "Let me go check out the mansion. For all the trouble I've put you through, let me help with this."

"We're both go." L raised his arm, reminding Light of the handcuffs. "I'll inform the Task Force I have an emergency that demands my immediate attention and you're coming with me. I don't want you out of my sight. Watari will fill in the rest of the details to tell them. Misa will stay here. She still has a movie career. Matsuda will watch over her like a chaperone. Although, that may be like giving a kid the keys to a Jag and telling him to keep to speed limit."

"But the room is bugged, they just heard us," said Light.

"With a single look, I informed Watari to cut audio surveillance to the room so we could talk freely." L smiled ever so slightly. "A small glitch. They didn't hear anything after I answered Matsuda's phone call."

"No, I want to go, too!" Misa said, going over to Light and dropping to his side on the couch, cupping his arm. "I want to go with my _Shining Light!_ "

Light immediately snapped a look at her. "What did you say? Where did you hear that?" He grabbed her shoulders.

Misa winced. "Ow, you're hurting me, Light. Hear what?"

"It was in your dairy, Light," L said. Light turned to L. "She might have overheard it when we were reading it in conference, before the decision of the handcuffs. I read it all, including the last entry when you said you might be suffering from a split personality disorder, thinking dark thoughts. Most people would think you were depressed. You must have known I would read your diary after you were taken in. The reference was mentioned a couple of times, associated with, possibly a name, that was scratched out. The name or scratches never repeated after five years ago. But your father filled me in on what happened."

"No, I just made it up," Misa said defensively, ignoring L. "Because Light _is_ my ' _shining light_ ', saving me from a life of lonesome spinsterhood. The bright point in my otherwise dark world. Like I said before, I wouldn't be able to live in a world without Light."

"Well, wherever you got it, Misa. Don't ever use it again."

"Or the nickname _Nimbler_ ," L put in quickly.

Light scowled. "Damn it, Ryuzaki! I forgot that was in there. Stop revealing my secrets."

Misa raised her brow and gave Light a suggestive look. " _Nimbler_ , eh? I wonder why? You like big breasts and your nickname is _Nimbler_?"

Light snorted annoyed. "I got that nickname from Demmy when I was younger, because I used to nimble on my food when I was studying, that's all! As for _Shining Light_ , please never mention that one again."

"Why?"

"A bad memory," Light said with a thoughtful, heartfelt sigh. "And one aspect of my life I wish I _could_ forget. As for what you've heard from my father, Ryuzaki. I'm still very sore about Dana Chika and how she just up and left me without a trace."

_To be continued..._


	38. Revelations: 17:11

With a well-worn bible in hand, Demetre sat crossed-legged on a couch in his quarters, sipping tea, engaged in some of his favourite and bookmarked passages. Each passage was about togetherness. A togetherness he and Dana now shared. They were also telling of his friendship with Light, but that was before he learned of his friend's betrayal.

He had spent time between the Savant Mansion and home, reacquainting his parents with Dana. They had known her when he and Light were in middle school, before she mysteriously disappeared. She reappeared here in _the Savant Society_ , the reason for her disappearance becoming apparent when he learned about the true nature of the Society.

But he didn't reveal the truth to them about Dana's disappearance, just that she had moved away, and was now back.

He was nineteen. Dana was his lover now. And his parents accepted their relationship and their consummation. As did Dana's father. Her mother was dead, dying of heart disease at an early age of thirty-three when Dana was only ten years old. But Dana revealed that she had not been very close to her mother.

Strangely enough, over the past couple of weeks, Zurn left them alone, engaged in an unknown situation. Demetre had attempted to seek information on it, but couldn't find out anything. But Naomi Misora was on the case.

The Savant Mansion was quiet tonight and Demetre enjoyed the solitude. Well, he wasn't quite alone. He was never truly alone with a place that housed a diverse and vast array of Shinigami. Geist was with Demetre now.

Geist rubbed his chin in thought as he sat on a large stool, sturdy enough to hold his bulk, looking down at a chess board that sat between himself and Demmy. Between moves, Demetre read his Bible, because Geist took so long to move. Geist was playing chess, Demetre was just playing along. There was no one who was a match at the Savant Society for him. The only true rival he had had been Light. And as the game commenced, Demetre saw the irony between himself and Light on a type of battle field where the forces of good and evil were fighting.

There was a Third Kira now, as some was calling him, and together, the Savant Society, began to hone in on where he may be, and his true purpose. Originally, Demetre wanted to save lives when he obtained ownership of his Death Note, but in order to do so, he would need to kill others to save others. He thought of countless scenarios of how this could be achieved, but in the end, he knew killing was against God's Law, and left it alone. He had only killed one person and that was to save his own life.

Geist seemed okay with it, however. He was being entertained even without the Kira-like killings that Light Yagami had done. Demetre was a different breed of handler, and Geist, a unique Shinigami, who didn't mind its lack-of-use.

Geist was a very slow player, and from what Demetre saw, he could easily win the game in one or two moves. Yet, he allowed it to go on, because Geist looked to be enjoying it. Geist thought he was winning too.

Demetre heard Geist groan, unable to decide where to move. Geist was a Shinigami who hated to make a mistake and it had been twenty minutes since his last move.

Then, gently with two pointed fingers, Geist made a move. It was a bad one, but Demetre played along, and followed up with a bad move to keep the game going, to keep the Shinigami happy. He had multiple ways to win already.

Demetre then leaned back, and recited a passage from the Book of Revelations, when Geist seemed to sigh, scratching his head.

" _And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, goes into perdition_...Revelations 17:11," Demetre read. "Sort of describes Kira, don't you think?"

"I hate your incisive Bible prattling, Demmy. I hated it when we were living in your house, and I hate it now." Geist grumbled annoyed, looking down at the board. "I lost, didn't I? You've been mocking me. I don't like being played, Demmy."

" _Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, thou shall he also reap..._ Galatians 6:7."

"Why do you insist on quoting scripture to me? I'm not impressed."

"I don't quote God's words to impress you, Geist, I speak them to give strength to them," Demetre said. " _For whoever speaks my name throughout history, I shall never die._ "

"And what part of your God's book does that come from?"

"It doesn't. It comes from an ancient Egyptian ruler named Rameses the Great who ruled Egypt in the 19th Dynasty during the New Kingdom era, some 4,000 short years ago. He was the greatest of the Pharaohs and created a dynasty unmatched. But for even longer, God's name and law has resided in the minds and hearts of Man since _before_ the Great Flood."

"He was a glorified lair from what I recall. He lost a major battle, but claimed victory. Humanity is filled with omissions and falsehoods. If you knew your world's true history, you'd wonder how you ever evolved at all."

"History changes daily," Demetre said. "The evolution of Humankind is filled with countless destructions and rebirths. Some believe we are in the end of days. But with you here, I foresee a rebirth, and one where doomsday prophecies lose their merit."

"Your god won't save you," Geist stated. "I've seen the fate of your species and it's not pleasant. Your world will perish and your species will be obliterated in an instant."

"The future has many facets, paths of virtue and damnation. Ancient cultures have predicted the end of the world for years. The virtuous will never die, we will ascend to the heavens and take our place at God's side."

This time Geist laughed. "You forget, those who use the Death Note can neither go to Heaven or Hell."

Demetre smiled slyly. "There is always an exception to every rule."

"You tell that to the Shinigami King. He makes no exceptions."

"The fact that he has allowed so many Shinigami to descend upon my world whereas only three can, according to Shinigami law as you've told me, tell me he breaks his own rules."

"Well, he can do that. He's the Shinigami King."

"Lead by example or chaos reigns."

"Don't you dare disrespect the Shinigami King!"

"Being disrespectful and being truthful are two entirely different things, my friend. However, I do apologize. I agree. Superior beings do have the right to innate their own laws if they choose. The bible even wades contradiction to God's righteous benevolence, killing and humiliating humans for the sake of self-gratification and entertainment. Case in point, the story of Sodom and Gomorrah, when God turned all sinners into pillars of salt if looked back at their old life after being told to leave. So both your king and God have something in common. And I don't hold anything against contradiction, I even encourage it."

"I don't get you sometimes," Geist said. "You accept your god's judgments, and yet you despite Kira. Light Yagami's murdering ways has, in truth, made your human society safer."

"No!" Demetre slammed his bible shut in a moment of anger, getting to his feet. "Light Yagami is a murderer! He's not a god! There's only one true redeemer! And Light will pay for killing my grandfather! This I vow!"

"If I were human, I'd be afraid of you right now." Geist chuckled. "The fiery look in your eyes is that of a demon in your biblical folklore. A fire fills your eyes with hate and revenge."

"And what's wrong with hate and revenge? Even God gets angry, the Old Testament is filled with his wraith against Humankind for defying his law!" Demetre kissed his crucifix around his neck, and he apologized for getting so angry. He asked God for forgiveness. "Do I look so dangerous? Everyone who does what is right is borne of Him. But _Kira_ is an abomination!"

_To be continued..._


	39. Truth And Lies

_**TWO DAYS LATER…** _

"Yes, Mom, I'm fine..." Light spoke to his mother on his cell phone. "Dad and I, we just, uh, decided to stay a little longer on our new sabbatical training. He's teaching me a lot of valuable things and how to mentally prepare to be a police officer."

_Oh boy…that sounded really fake_ , he thought. _And not like me at all._

It was a huge lie and he knew it. His mother would never accept it. He had told her two months ago that he and his father were going on a training sabbatical to hone himself, like they did when Light was younger. And like a warrior did when they trained in the mountains in some of those unrealistic samurai movies. But telling his mother the truth was out of the question.

He looked at his father who nodded for him to continue to lie.

Light hated to lie to his mother about anything, especially where he had been these last two months. Ryuzaki and the rest of the Kira Task Force were listening in on his conversion and Light felt like he was some playwright lair putting on a show for an audience.

_A white lie, the term is called_ , he thought. _A lie told to another person to ease their mind and protect them._

How could he tell his mother and sister that he was L's prime suspect, that he was suspected of being Kira? The accusation was sickening enough. And it was something his mother didn't need to know. Even though he knew he was innocent.

And yet, even he had some doubts. But he was the one telling the lie, so he knew the truth.

His feelings mirrored Kira's. Certain people deserved to die for their sinister actions. But he could never murder anyone and put his future career as a cop in jeopardy. How could be a cop, protect someone, if he couldn't fire a weapon? He had been at the firing range, but he knew he needed a lot of practise. Would he be prepared to kill?

So many people had died at Kira's hands. Even police officers and FBI agents. He couldn't even conceive the mentality of Kira to commit such horrendous atrocities. And yet, it did stop the criminals from re-offending when they had served their time. Kira's actions prevented major criminals from harming anyone else. It was a permanent solution to a long time problem plaguing the justice system.

Even with a split-personality he knew he could never _be_ Kira and he had to control any wild conjecture and self-incrimination. He had to be steadfast and focus on catching _Kira_. And he had to absolutely clear his name.

" _Light?_ " his mother's voice came over the receiver. " _Are you there?_ "

Light startled momentarily. He had to stop over-analyzing and daydreaming.

"Y-yes, Mom," he stuttered a response. "Sorry to worry you. Dad and I should be back soon. I was able to make this call with my cell because I found a clearing, but it looks like we'll loose reception soon."

Another bold face lie, not a white lie. He was getting good at it. He felt like throwing up.

In the past, he, Demmy, and his father, went for annual sabbaticals for a month. It ended a little more than two years ago. During the trip, they did all sorts of things, and they called it a "Man's Vacation", because it was only "the boys" who went. His mother and Sayu stayed home.

Hiking and survival training were the main themes. They lived off the land, snared their own meals, caught fish in a near-by stream, built campfires, navigated by the stars, and many other things. Including—but they kept it to themselves—target practise. It was something fun and educational. And his father was very knowledgeable in such matters, passing down what he learnt from his own father.

And Demetre was a good shot. He never missed a target.

"But Demetre didn't join us this year," Light said. "He declined."

" _I know,_ " his mother replied. " _He was worried about you when he hadn't see you in school. He came to see us a few days ago, wondering where you had gone. And Light, don't be too shocked. Dana Chika was with him. They seem to be together._ "

Light gasped. L had mentioned Demmy had a mysterious female companion with him when seen. There was no way L would have known it was Dana, her name scratched out of every entry Light ever wrote in his dairy about her. And no way what she looked like.

He knew he had yelled at Misa for bringing up the term 'Shining Light', because this is what Dana used to call him. But he knew he was still in love with Dana. Yet now, to find out that she was with Demmy after five long years. She had left without a trace.

He looked to his father and his father waved him to continue. He knew how Light felt about her and how sad he was when she left him.

He was just a mix of emotions right now, all the wonderful times he had spent with Dana came flooding back. It almost gave him a headache.

"Dana? Did she say where she's been the last five years? Why is she with Demmy?"

" _She didn't explain much,_ " his mother continued. " _I'm sorry, Light. I know much you liked Dana. And when she just disappeared, we were heart-broken…_ "

Light frowned. "Yes," he said stolidly, a sudden mental barrier went up in his mind. His way to stay strong.

_Demmy? Dana's with him now? She chose him over me? She always liked him best. Not like I didn't see them looking at each other, giving each other passing glances in middle school. I was a fool, I knew something was between them but I choose to ignore it. He flirted with her and she did the same under the guise of friendship. It all makes sense now._

" _Did they say anything else_?" There was a hint of bitterness in his voice now.

" _They only asked where you were,_ " his mother said, she was starting to sound concerned. " _Is everything all right, Light?_ "

He had to assure her things were well, while the opposite. Now he felt angry. "Yes, Mom, and don't worry about us. We'll be home soon."

" _You're missing so much school, sweetheart. I know you're very smart, Light, but you'll fall behind, and will have to repeat your first year in university. Not a very good thing to do especially when you recited the Welcome Speech at the Entrance Ceremony. Are you sure you want to do this now? I thought you were eager to join the NPA?_ "

"I'm still young, Mom. There's lots of time," he said assuredly, but he wasn't sure himself right now, and not with his current situation.

" _You're not my little boy anymore. You're all grown up. You can make your own decisions now._ "

Light frowned, he felt ashamed deceiving her. His mother was such a trusting woman and he felt lying to her was just wrong. But…

"I'll always be your little boy, Mom, and nothing will change that. I love you."

" _I love you, too, Light. See you soon._ "

"Bye, Mom," he said.

He ended the call, closed up his phone, but then clutched it tightly in his hand. He shut his eyes, and wished what he just found out was some kind of nightmare he could wake from. Anger swelled inside him. Dana had betrayed him and with his best friend Demetre.

His father stood by his side and put a hand on his shoulder. Light screamed silently inside his head and then composed himself. He looked up at his father. A flood of negative and hateful emotions filled his mind, but Light tried not to show it.

He cleared his throat, gave his father a thin, but fake smile, and then looked at the others.

And immediately noticed L had a weird look on his face. He was crouched on a chair in his unusual manner in the epicentre of the Kira Task Force, his head tilted slightly, with a finger partially on his mouth.

"What's with that look, Ryuzaki?" Light said angrily. "Do you find pleasure in my pain?"

"On the contrary, Light," L said. "It's the first time I've seen genuine emotion from you, not contrived for an audience."

"And what does that mean?" Anger seethed in Light's voice. The last thing he wanted was to be interrogated about his emotions. "I have to find Dana, speak to her and ask her why she left me, and why she's now with Demmy!"

"We'll get to that," L said. "I actually see real emotion from you. I'm curious about it. First despair for lying to your mother and now anger in learning about your ex-girlfriend. You are a fascinating person."

"So? Why should that shock you?"

"You're definitely not exhibiting what I'd call sociopathic behaviour or a Kira persona. You're expressing genuine emotion as a teenager. Unless this is all an act again?"

Light clenched his teeth, then he launched himself at L. He couldn't stand it anymore, he needed to hit something. Maybe now he could finish what he started when he punched Ryuzaki in the other room. He reached out, fingers bent as claws for the detective's throat. Matsuda had to subdue him, locking him under the arms, holding him in place.

"Light, settle down!" the Task Force member said. "He was paying you a compliment." Light struggled, but to no avail.

Matsuda was pretty strong. "He knows you're not Kira, right?"

"Unfortunately there's still a small percentage that Light is Kira," L corrected the young detective.

Light felt a fire in him. He wanted to catch Kira, but at the moment, all he wanted was to punch Ryuzaki for the insult. Coupled that with the image of Dana and Demetre in each other's arms. He felt like hitting something.

It was enough to wish him harm upon his best friend, even write Demmy's name in a thread on _Kira's Underground_ website for Kira to act!

_To be continued..._


	40. Secret Messages

"Okay, so, if this teenage temper tantrum is over," L said coldly, "I think Light has something to tell us?"

Light growled under his breath, struggled against Matsuda for a moment, but ultimately relented. He settled down, but Matsuda didn't immediately release him. "You okay, Light? Everything cool now?" the detective asked.

Light breathed out heavy. "Yeah, I believe so. And damn right I have something to tell you, Ryuzaki. But they are the kinds of words not meant for mixed company." A moment passed. "You can let me go now, Matsuda. I'm fine now. I'm not going to attack L."

"Good, Light," Matsuda said, "because I do know more forceful ways to subdue someone. I'm a cop, remember?"

"Yeah, I know," Light replied. Matsuda released him and Light straightened his ruffled shirt. He shook himself out of his dark, inner thoughts, and focused back on the Kira Case. He would deal with how he felt about Demetre and Dana later. "Yes, I do," he then said to Ryuzaki's inquiry. He was disgruntled that his feelings were so easily pushed aside by the master detective for his own selfish want. He could never do that. But he forcefully pushed his emotions deep down for now. "I was able to gather information that may be of help to the Kira Case."

Light sat down at his computer station, typed, and transferred something to the large widescreen on the wall for the task force to see.

"This is something I found on the website _Kira's Underground_. I took a snapshot of it the moment I saw it. A minute later, it mysteriously disappeared. It's from a user with the handle KnightStar. It's a cryptic message, but I believe it's a warning for Kira."

L read it out loud: " _SS, the end is nigh; judgement by the League is at hand. Lord K be weary._ " He mused. "It definitely rings of a warning and it has religious undertones, but it's very…"

"Confusing," Matsuda remarked. "Someone is warning Kira about an event that is about to happen? Any ideas about what SS or League mean?"

Light and L shared a glance.

"Yes," L spoke up. "SS could stand for a cultist group that calls themselves _the Savant Society_."

Soichiro Yagami mouth opened, "Did you say Savant, Ryuzaki?" Light saw his father's shock. "Savant is the name of one of our ancestors."

Light nodded. He then told everyone that both he and L had discussed Light's ancestor, Joseph Savant, while Light was incarcerated, when they were playing a game of Twenty Questions to pass the time. Everyone else was either sleeping or doing other things. Also, they discussed visiting the Savant Mansion secretly, the home of a cultist group, to infiltrate it in an attempt to learn more.

But now that would have to place that on hold with this warning. Both L and Light agreed on this.

"I have more," Light said. "I've seen mentions of SS pop up in other threads in cryptic messages, but then disappear. I managed to capture two. They were very short messages and only stayed up for a limited time." Light brought them both up on the large screen for the task force to see. "They're written by different Handles, but I think they're written by one person. Yet, I'm unsure."

**SS0SS0SS0SS — (by): Chipotlexox**   
**Servant to Savant — (by): Laughing Lloypp**

Matsuda pointed to the second one. "Okay, this one looks to me like a more direct-to-the-point message about the Savant Society," he said. "And the person who wrote the message may be a _servant_ to a ' _Savant_ '—which is a higher elevated person."

"Yes," L said, pleased, "excellent deduction, Matsuda." Matsuda immediately smiled and looked happy with himself. L then pointed to the other message. "But I'm more interested in the first message with four sets of SS's and three zeroes. It's almost a riddle within a riddle."

Light paused for a moment. "Let me brainstorm here," he said. "Could four SS's mean a rank of some sort? Say, this person is really high up in _the Savant Society_? But perhaps the second message corresponds to his _servitude_ , and lower to, say, a higher echelon?"

"Could be," L said, thinking. "But let me add to your theory, Light. The three zeroes may be more significant than we think, separating the SS's. Zero means: nothing, naught, no quantity. Or…" Ryuzaki snorted out a chuckle. "Oh, that's clever…whoever wrote this also wanted my attention. The Handle _Laughing Lloypp_ is an important clue in the second message. Look, three L's. Or, Am I just be seeing things differently?"

Siochiro Yagami mused, "I'm not sure, Ryuzaki," he said. "But you do think more abstract than the rest of us."

"Oh, you sneaky devil!" Light suddenly said, and began to type on his computer feverishly.

"What is it, Light?" His father turned to him quickly.

"Ryuzaki recently revealed to me that Demmy may be involved with _the Savant Society_ ," Light began. "Watari has evidence to back it up, video surveillance and a mysterious phone call. I didn't want to believe it, but when Mom revealed that Demmy and Dana were together, I felt a little betrayed. Yet after reading these messages, I think I understand now. Thank you, Demmy!"

"Light, what are you rambling about?"

Light brought up a website from the Dark Web where he could search for IP addresses that were normally hidden from public view. Multiple screens popped up on his computer with script and DOS files. As he typed quickly, he explained.

"Months back, Demmy returned my phone when I accidentally left it in class at To-Oh university," Light said. "I don't know why, but he was fishing for information about the Kira Case during a phone call afterwards. He probably figured I was helping out with the Kira Case, because I had helped the NPA with a few cases in the past and wanted to know some inside information hoping I would tell him. I didn't. The triple L's was the first clue. Then, I saw something else."

Light pointed at the large screen.

"Do you see those two small _p's_ after _Laughing Lloypp_?" Light said. "Looks like a mistake, doesn't it, even as a Handle? You may think I'm jumping to a conclusion, but I don't think so. Turn the _pp_ upside down and you have _dd_ —Demetre Draycott. Only Demmy could write something so ambiguous as to not to set off alarm bells. He is one of the most cleverest people I know! And I'm embarrassed to admit, but I'm never won a game a chess against him. He either wins, or it ends in a draw."

"Oh my god! Wow!" Matsuda remarked.

"No way," his father said. "Light, you sure? It is a bit of a stretch. Even Ryuzaki's triple L is reaching. I'm not sure…"

"Most detective work is initially theory, Mr. Yagami," L said. "Go on, Light. Dazzle us!"

Light began to get very excited. "It looks like Demmy wrote the first message too: SS0SS0SS0SS. I agree with Ryuzaki that the zeros may be important, as well, the emphases on three. Like the triple L's. Now that I think about it, the SS's may not mean rank—they are more indicative of Western culture. 'S' is the nineteenth letter in the English language alphabet. This tells me Demmy's with people who mainly speak English and English is the most spoken language in the modern world. Two SS's together is 1919. Zero is an unknown viable. And as L said, naught or possibly X. I would bet X, like in multiplication. Therefore, if it stands to reason it is 19 times 19 and since there are four sets of SS's…If you…" Light mouthed silently, his brain surging. Then: "19 times 19 equals 361, times 3(X), then divide that by Pi because of its relation to…which gives you…344.904458598." Light typed in the number, trying varying decimal points in places. "And there! You get an IP address and I just pinged it. It belongs somewhere near the base of Mount Fuji and I'm betting it's somewhere _inside_ the Savant Mansion." He had everyone in awe. "But that's not all! Demmy also uses the Handle 'Chipotlexox' for the first message, which, I'm a little embarrassed to say, was a favourite cartoon of mine when I was younger, when I was eleven years old. It didn't click to me until a moment ago."

"Why be embarrassed, Light?" His father said. "Kids watch cartoons all the time?"

Light swallowed nervously. "It wasn't a child's cartoon, Dad. It was more mature. Chipotlexox was the name of an adult cartoon that Demmy caught me watching one day in my room. I thought it was a kids cartoon, but it turned out to be mislabelled when I bought it from a dealer. He made fun of me and I've never forgotten it. So, I know this handle belongs to him! It's a direct message to me. Sorry, Dad…"

"Okay, so it happened," his father said, although he frowned slightly. "Let's move on. And let me add something to this, if you'd let me. All this talk about Western and English culture…and if Demetre is involved in this cult, _the Savant Society_ , and wrote these cryptic messages, then he may have inside knowledge about our ancestor, Joseph Savant. Savant migrated from Europe to Japan over a hundred or so years ago, born in England. And these messages are written in English, Demetre's first-language. Demetre was born in America and moved to Japan with his father when he was four or five years old. However, this also worries me, because it also sounds like he's reaching out for help, and to you, Light. Look at the post: SS0SS0SS0SS. If you look closely, SOS—which is the universal sign for Help. Or, maybe _I'm_ the one that's reaching this time?"

Light gasped. "Oh my god, Dad! That's…I never saw that. That's amazing! And you may be right!"

"Excellent work, Mr. Yagami," L said. "And I concur. I'm totally impressed with all this. Light, you're a chip off the old block."

Soichiro Yagami smiled modestly. "Thanks, Ryuzaki," he said.

L said, "Huh? Oh, I meant me."

Soichiro Yagami gave him a condescending look.

"So, then, here's the big question," Matsuda chimed in. "What reason would Light's friend send these messages to _Kira_ on the _Kira Underground_ boards? Why warn _Kira_ of an impeding doom? Is it because Demetre knows Light is working on the Kira Case with us and knew Light would see them, looking for clues to catch _Kira_? Hence not a message to _Kira_ but to _Light_? Does this also mean _the Savant Society_ may be out to get Kira like some sort of vigilante group? Does Demetre think that we, the Kira Task Force, need to know something important about this group? Furthermore, this word 'League' mentioned in the original message Light found is odd. What do you think Demetre meant by it?"

"That was more than one question, Matsuda," Light said.

"Yeah, I got carried away," Matsuda said, rubbing the back of his neck a little abashed, "sorry."

"Don't apologize, Matsuda," Soichiro said, "and keep posing questions like that. That's why we're here."

Matsuda smiled pleased with himself once again and Light thought it was great that his father was keeping up morale.

L shrugged, "Maybe a league of their own? Like in that American movie about Baseball? Or as in the Biblical story of _Legion_ —for we are many? As I hinted, the very first message having religious undertones. In any case, we will just have to keep digging for information. It could mean almost anything and hypothesizing about it will get us no where. We need facts…"

_To be continued..._


	41. The Gifted Few

Mogi had been standing aside for most of the discussion. The hefty detective handed L a computer tablet. Light caught a glimpse of it before L took it. It was on the website Wikipedia. The big man was quiet, but he was always working.

_He must have been looking something up while we were all talking?_ Light thought.

L began reading what was on the tablet and suddenly his eyes lit up with an explosive awe.

"Ryuzaki, what is it? What did Mogi give you?" Light asked.

L smiled, then said, "Thank you, Mogi. This will be extremely helpful."

The detective smiled mildly. Mogi rarely ever spoke, the quiet giant type. He stood back.

L held the tablet up with two fingers, fore and thumb, as if it were a very valuable piece of crystal-ware.

"This everyone," L began, "is perhaps the breakthrough we've been looking for. Mogi just handed me information that could have far reaching implications for the secret behind Kira's powers, supernatural in nature. Kira is killing criminals again—I loosely refer to him as a _Third Kira_ ; he started when Light was still incarcerated—but _this_ may solve something for us here and now. I've heard of this and I'm glad I was reminded of it. It's called _Savant Syndrome_. It's a medical condition whereas someone with significant mental disabilities demonstrates certain abilities, akin to Autism, that are far in excess of what we know as average and often related to memory. For example: rapid thinking—like Light demonstrated for us with Draycott's clue—map making, artistic ability, musical ability, any combination of other things. AKA: _The gifted few_."

Light replied, "Forgive me in advance if this sounds a bit narcissistic, but are you inferring that _the Savant Society_ could be made up of highly intelligent people like some sort of elitist social club?"

L shrugged.

Light continued. "If we take this into account, what if these cryptic messages aren't a warning, per se, but informing Kira that _the Savant Society_ is interested in recruiting him? Demmy has infiltrated this cult somehow…and here he found Dana." Light paused, mused. "No wonder Dana disappeared without a trace five years ago. If she got involved in _the Savant Society_ , or any member of her family did—I know her father was deeply involved in large financial circles—and she left with him…maybe against her will…and unable to tell anyone…"

"Light, you're rambling again," his father said.

"Oh, sorry," Light said, "just trying to reason things out loud."

His father put a hand on Light's shoulder. "I know how much you cared for Dana," he said. "And trust me, I know Demetre cares for you, too. I think he hopes in getting these messages out to someone who can decipher them, like you, because perhaps he is putting out a warning? Not only to Kira, but to any one else that may be caught in some sort of crossfire. But it may just be a theory?"

"Theory or not, it may be valuable to the Kira Case, Dad," Light said.

"Demetre has had a lot to deal with lately," Soichiro went on. "The death of his grandfather, for one, at the hands of Kira, and maybe the Savant Society does want Kira to join them, and Demetre needs help to stop them? I know Demetre loved his grandfather very much and he was devastated when he died. His grandfather was killed for a crime falsely accused of. If Kira _ever_ regretted anything, I bet he regretted that kill. That's _if_ Kira knew the significance of the kill?"

L waved a hand in the air as if to shoe away something negligible. "I would disagree with you on that point, Mr. Yagami. Kira is a psychopath, he _wouldn't_ and _doesn't_ care. Kira kills anyone to serve his agenda even if it's to generate fear—those twelve FBI agents, for example."

L continued, "But returning to the original topic. Light, what you proposed that _the Savant Society_ may be some sort of elitist club for intellectuals is quite probable. But I would say they're not just intellectuals, but people with special gifts. And they are very much aware of how much power they wield. I know a few people with special gifts that you'd think was improbable. If Demetre Draycott has gotten involved with _the Savant Society_ , Light, then the question is why? I much admit, though, these messages are brilliant."

"Yes, I agree," Light remarked with a hint of jealousy. _You've always been my most worthy rival, Demmy._

L smirked. "I'm glad you're on our side, Light. If you were Kira and saw these messages, understood them, then I'd be in the fight of my life. Kira, the Savant Society, and whatever else is awaiting us out there…" L breathed out. "And I thought I only had to contend with Kira. Maybe I should just go hide under my bed for the duration of this investigation? It's beginning to sound like a scary _coup d'etat_ against me."

"Ryuzaki, that isn't funny," Soichiro said.

Light frowned. "Once again, Ryuzaki, I'm not Kira. Get that through that thick skull of yours!"

Ryuzaki cocked his head. "My head's pretty hard," he said, rapping the right side with his knuckles. "There's still a three percent chance that you are. Live with it."

Light rolled his eyes. "Fine, whatever, Ryuzaki," he said. "Demmy may need my help and I would like to help him." _And I want to see Dana again._ "Do we have anything of substance about _the Savant Society_? Maybe we should reconsider our decision to visit the Savant Mansion?"

L put up a hand. "Wait," he started. "Despite us talking about it before, this new information warrants extreme caution dealing with _the Savant Society_ now. Demetre Draycott's messages are red flags, warning us to stay away, but also, possibly, telling Kira that they want to make contact. And I'm curious, do members of _the Savant Society_ have a similar power like Kira? Instead of going off half-cocked, can you somehow relay a message covertly to Demetre to say his message was received?"

"Sure," Light said, "but it may take some time. I need something secretive that only Demmy will know, so he knows it's coming from me. Our annual sabbaticals are out, Dana knew about those. So, I bet _the Savant Society_ does, as well…"

"Tell me about your friend, Demetre Draycott," L asked. "Your friend right now is an enigma in our fight against Kira and I need to know a possible motive why he would get involved with _the Savant Society_? What may have drawn him to them? I was only able to speak with him a short time after I caught him watching the abduction of Misa Amane at your university, so I wasn't able to get a complete picture of him."

"He's a very good friend, Ryuzaki," Light said, almost defensively. "He's been at my side through the good and bad times, especially when Dana left. He's my closest friend in the world. And if push came to shove, I bet he would even put himself in harms way for me."

"I see," L said. "And if he knew certain things about you, would he protect you even then?"

"What are you implying?"

L waved it off. "Never mind, just thinking out loud," he said. "Go on."

"Um, Light," his father spoke up. "I need to tell you something. I only recently found out. I'm not sure Demetre even knows. His parents wanted to keep it from him until the time was right. It would have devastated him, but then Kira stepped in."

"What is it, Dad?" Light asked, a little concerned.

"Demetre's grandfather was dying of terminal cancer," Soichiro revealed. "I was told it would have been a considerably painful death and there was nothing the doctors could do. I don't know the medical term, but it had something to do with the blood."

It was a good thing he was sitting, because Light thought he was going to collapse.

"So, without even knowing it, Kira did Demetre's grandfather a favour, so to speak," L remarked. "Reminds me of your friend Maverick Hachiko when it was found out that he had brain cancer, but only after he died. But mercy killings aren't Kira's style."

Light looked up from his shock. "It doesn't make it right, Ryuzaki," he said. "Murder is still murder!"

"No, it doesn't," L replied. "Now, at the risk of sounding impolite…Light, I need you to make contact with Demetre Draycott. Watari and I will continue to investigate _the Savant Society_ , but from afar. Matsuda, please contact Mr. Aizawa. I know he's helping Ms. Amane at the moment, being her chaperone today for her movie shoot. You are her Manager, Matsuda, but Aizawa said he wanted to a little fresh air today."

"Sure, what should I say to him?" Matsuda said.

"Just to be prepared for some difficult times ahead," L said.

_To be continued..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The stories:
> 
> The Case of Jasper Yuta  
> The Twisted Kuzushi Affair  
> The Crossbound Incident
> 
> ...each take place between chapters 40 and 41.


	42. A Long Way Towards Realism

_**WEEKS LATER…** _

"Due to unfortunate circumstances, Mr. Aizawa is no longer an active member of the Kira Task Force," L stated. "This makes us shorthanded and I have been forced to reply on outside help to babysit Misa Amane when she goes out to her job everyday. I trust everyone here, but I am very weary about extending that trust to others especially those associated with the NPA, even though some do share our cause."

"My friend is totally reliable," Matsuda retorted. "He works for the NPA, but moonlights as a bouncer at nightclub. No one will mess with him."

"To be honest, Ryuzaki," Soichiro Yagami said. "We all know the reason why Aizawa left. You lied to him about setting up a Trust Fund for each of us in case we lost our jobs at the NPA."

"Nevertheless, and we've had this discussion before when we were aiding Light against Ken Kuzushi, I don't plan on having it again now," L said. He was crouching on the two-seater couch in the lounge area just off the epicentre. "Truthfully, I really enjoyed working with him. But I wanted to know if everyone was serious about working on the Kira Case with me. Losing your jobs with the NPA was a strong possibility. Kira is now threatening all law enforcement agencies to cease associations with us and I wanted to keep you all here. I think we make a good team."

"I chose to stay because I have my principles, and I'm single," Matsuda said, "but I can see where Aizawa had a problem. He didn't want to be a charity case and he has a family. These last few weeks have been brutal. Apart from the Kira Case, we've had to deal with some difficult cases involving Jasper Yuta and his gang, Ken Kuzushi, and Light and Misa had to tangle with Cameron Cross and his people. It's been hectic to say the least. Aizawa had family things to take care of when Jasper Yuta attacked us, but left just before the Ken Kuzushi affair. He says he still wants be of help, and he could be our inside contact within the NPA, but you told us not to discuss the Kira Case with anyone outside our team."

"Yes, that is correct," L said.

"I think everything just came to a head when he exploded on you, Ryuzaki," Light said. "He was pretty mad and he said some nasty things, but I think he was just frustrated like we all are. Maybe if we give him some time to think about thing he would be willing to—"

L shook his head. "Look, I don't have time to cater to people's personal problems! We're out to catch a killer, Kira, and figure out why the Savant Society may want to recruit him? Who knows, the _Third Kira_ may have already done so during these past few weeks? Watari has been extremely helpful in gathering information for us, but we still need more to go on before we can even considering making a move at this point."

"Maybe you're right, Ryuzaki. I hate to wait, but sometimes patience is a virtue," Light said.

"And it avoids terrible mistakes," L added.

Light nodded.

Light sat with one leg over the other in an easy chair holding a computer tablet. He flicked a finger and scrolled through some media reports on Kira. The Third Kira had been busy killing criminals as of late. His other hand was handcuffed to Ryuzaki connected to a chain. He hated the way it felt, but he dealt with it. He then left news outlets and entered the _Kira's Underground_ website going to a bookmarked thread. "No responses from my posts on _Kira's Underground_ in response to Demmy's cryptic messages. Either he won't answer us or he's unable."

"Perhaps it was meant to be one-way?" said his father. "Perhaps it was just to pass on information knowing a response wasn't expected?"

"I think you're right, Mr. Yagami," L said. "Light, take down your messages. Obviously, your friend isn't going to answer. I think he took a chance just posting the original messages."

"Yeah, I agree," Light said.

Just then, the surveillance camera at the building's front entrance exterior popped up on Light's tablet screen. The CCTV security system was programmed to alert the epicentre of anyone at the doors and his tablet was connected to it.

Misa's face was plastered across it. " _LIIIGGGGHHHHTTTT! I'm back!_ "

He jumped, nearly dropping the tablet, not aware that the sound was turned high when she let out her banshee-like voice.

"Matsuda's friend dropped me off at the front entrance," she said. "He had to leave, called into work or something. You can let me in anytime! My knighting in shining armour, Light!"

"Better let her in," L said. "We wouldn't want a crowd to start forming outside the building like it did at your university when she was recognized. The last thing we need is something saying, 'Hey! What kind of building is this? Misa Amane works in this building? Can we see her?'"

"Yeah, you're right."

Somewhere in a secondary control centre, Watari let her in remotely when informed.

A few minutes later, Misa emerged from the elevator, and even before the doors fully opened, she burst out, and ran towards Light like she hadn't see him in years, as he stood near to greet her. It was only polite to welcome her back home after working all day. That was just how he was raised by his own mother. And of course due to them being chained together, L was there, too.

_Oof!_ Light sounded when she wrapped her arms around his waist, hugging him.

"Oh, Light, I'm so excited!" Misa said, squeezing him. She then pulled back. "I just auctioned for a part for another movie based on a popular manga and the highly successful animation and I got the main role! I was a huge fan of it when I was younger."

"Thanks great, Misa," Light said, less than enthusiastically. Misa had been in a lot of movies, some were successful, but he wasn't too keen on love stories. Although he did enjoy one manga that had a romanic theme to it when he was younger. "So, what manga is it from?"

"Mayu Mayu," she said.

Light's eyes lit up, his mouth dropped. "Really? That was a favourite of mine. The only _RomCom_ manga I enjoyed when I was younger. I never got to see the anime, I was studying all the time. That's fantastic!"

He suddenly felt embarrassed. He couldn't believe had just got excited like some sort of fanboy.

"RomCom?" his father inquired.

"Romantic Comedy," Matsuda chimed in. "I've heard of that manga. I've read it. The story takes place in Medieval Japan, and the premise is two lovers who have been separated by war. The protagonist and heroine are madly in love with each other, and they try to get to back to the other, but situations keep getting between them. However, they send letters describing their love, and at the end of the series they, well…"

Soichiro Yagami put up a hand. "I get the picture," he said.

"Yes, I seem to recall a few of those titles collected from Light's room when we went through his stuff," L remarked.

"So, what have you reading behind my back, young man?"

"He's not a child anymore, Mr. Yagami," L said. "We did catch him looking at some dirty magazines in his room, remember? All teenagers do it. And I think it's healthy, among other things. These sorts of stories were created to help alleviate tension and they help produce endorphins that relax the reader by taking them into a surreal fantasy world. I'm sure you had your vices to relieve stress when you were younger."

Soichiro cleared his throat, but said nothing.

"So, Misa, would you like help practising lines?" L said, smiling.

"Well, yes, but more so…" she said. "There's a scene the Director wants to shoot first, but he wants me to practise on someone" — she looked to Light — "Having a real person involved will go a long way towards realism." She smiled nervously. "I was hoping Light could help fill the role of the main male lead? They want to film the last scene first because there's a lot less wardrobe. If you know what I mean?"

Light's eyes widened. "Excuse me? You're not suggesting what I think you are, are you Misa? Absolutely not!"

"Oh my…" Matsuda elbowed Light, giving him a wink. "You lucky dog! I'm so jealous, Light."

Soichiro Yagami frowned. "What _exactly_ are you referring to, Misa?"

"She's referring to eroticism, Mr. Yagami," L said, "and plain old sexual activity."

_To be continued..._


	43. First Time (For Everything)

"No, no!" Misa said. "It's nothing like that, I swear! I even have a first draft of the movie script with me." She reached into her handbag, and brought it out. "Here, you can read it of you'd like."

Of all people, Matsuda was the one who grabbed the script. He opened it and flipped to the last Act. He sped-read through it quickly. Everyone just watched him in silence. When he was done, he looked up.

"Matsuda, you read that?" Misa asked. "Are you a speed-reader?"

"Yes," he said. "I admit, I may act _dumb_ at times, but I do bring something valuable to the table. I never told anyone that I have the talent because it never came up. Besides, no one would believe me. _Maybe_ it can come handy down the road? It doesn't work so well with computers, however, because of the bright light. It plays havoc with my eyes. But a regular paperback, or a script like this, I'm a wiz!"

"So, what do you think of the scene?" Misa eagerly asked.

"Well, the sex is implied and happens behind a curtain with shadowy candle light, so I don't think that needs to be practised. I bet they'll use stunt doubles. But there is a scene that leads up to it that's really erotic, the massage by the main heroine on the male protagonist. I guess they have to give the audience some fan-service or it'll be disappointing."

Light waved his hands. "No way, I'm not doing it. And what about this? The handcuffs?"

L took the script, flipped through a few pages. "That can be dealt with," L said causally. "Maybe we can chain you to the bed or something? You both can go into a separate room and play out the scene. We'd still be able to see you on CCTV, so no funny business."

"Ryuzaki!" Soichiro Yagami protested.

"Ohhh, chaining Light to a bed…now that's kinky, Ryuzaki," Misa remarked playfully. "Please, Light!" She begged, her hands clapped together. "I won't try anything, I promise. And I'll prepare everything. The atmosphere won't be exactly like that on set, but I did buy some lotions and erotic oils. I asked Matsuda's friend to stop off at a beauty parlour before coming here, so I have those for the scene."

"Stop right there, Misa," Light said adamantly. "I'm not letting you give me an erotic massage just to practise for one of your movie roles, it's…not right." He looked to his father. "Dad, help me out here. We're here to hunt down Kira, not to have fun."

Soichiro shrugged. "It's your decision, son. You're nineteen. You can make your own decisions now."

Misa clutched Light's left arm. "Please, Light. Please let me practice on you. I promise I'll make it worth your while. I'll never bug you for anything ever again—no asking for dates, and no special invites to glamorous yacht vacations." She stopped, mused. "Although the vacation on Cameron Cross's yacht turned out to be a bummer. It didn't hurt my career any, but I did learn he was a scumbag." She tilted her head to one side. "Besides, I would think a guy would jump at a chance for a woman to give him a massage. Or, do you like being handcuffed like this? Huh?"

His father snorted a laugh.

"Not funny, Dad," Light said.

"You know, I'm feeling a little tense," Ryuzaki said, rubbing his left shoulder. "If Light doesn't want to, I'll accept your offer?"

"Hey!" Light protested, giving Ryuzaki a nasty look. He didn't know why, but he felt possessive of Misa right now. "Misa, I thought it over. And I accept your offer. I've never had an erotic massage before. It might be fun. I'm feeling a little tense right now anyway and it's getting me hot under the collar."

"Are you sure you're not just getting hot and bothered?" L said. Matsuda chuckled, and Soichiro smiled thinly. "Maybe you do have some hidden feelings for Misa and you're jealous that I may steal her away from you? I think your true colours are finally showing, Light."

"Ryuzaki," Soichiro said, "stop teasing my son. He can make up his own mind."

Light cupped his hips. "Yeah, and don't get the wrong idea." Light turned to her. "Misa, get whatever you need. And I'll look over the script and recite lines with you."

Misa literally jumped into Light's arms. She hugged him and kissed him on the cheek. "Oh, Light! I'm so happy! Give me an hour to set everything up. We'll use one of the spare rooms on the Residential level. And I promise you, I'll rock your world. I mean, I'll rock the scene."

Misa skipped as she left, re-entering the elevator, and waved to him as the doors closed. She also blew Light a kiss.

Light then turned to the others. "Um, what did I just get myself into?"

"If you're lucky, into Misa's—"

"Ryuzaki!" Soichiro Yagami protested.

"Sorry, I'm sure Light will rise to the occasion."

"Ryuzaki!"

* * *

Light had second thoughts. It took himself some convincing, but he ultimately decided to go on with it.

He sat on the bed in a spare room on the Residential Level and looked at the camera that was pointed directly at him.

After he had changed, he was escorted to the room. The chain normally attached to Ryuzaki's wrist was now locked onto a ring drilled into the wall. It reminded him of the first time he had been handcuffed to Ryuzaki, whereas they had to slept in the same bed on that first night. It resulted in him being chained to the wall of his own room because Ryuzaki was too much of a nuance. ( _Ref: to my story: That First Night Was A Real Killer_ )

All he had on was a white towel with a pair of speedos underneath. They were the only pair he owned and he hoped they helped to avoid any embarrassment if something unavoidable happened. But he mentally prepared himself for the eventuality. He would recite math equations which would distract and occupy his mind, especially if he tried to calculate to the value of Pi.

According to the scene, which was vague in description, the character of Anna gave her lover an erotic massage with warm lotions and oils amongst a candle lit room. It was the precursor to the final scene, where they had finally been reunited after years apart during a feudal war.

Yuno only wears a towel as Anna begins to massage him. At least Light had the wardrobe right.

He was alone in the room, sat on the bed. Misa had already prepared it. And he had to admit, it fit the scene nicely from what he remembered in the manga, minus some of the modern decor. Dancing candle light gave it a romantic feel.

All of suddenly he felt a little nervous.

He looked, and saw a trolly left in the room with bottles of erotic lotions and oils of different sizes. There were also mini towels. If the situation was different, and he wasn't chained to the wall, it would probably be really romantic.

He was a virgin. He was embarrassed to admit it. A lot of his friends in high school had already lost their virginity. He had been on dates, but now he was in university and was still not in a relationship. Misa didn't count.

Misa was not here, so just waited patiently.

He looked up at the camera. "You better not be recording this, Ryuzaki," Light said.

There was a pause. " _I'll be live streaming it to several different media outlets, we'll make a fortune,_ " L said facetiously, his voice sounding from a speaker on the side of the camera.

" _He's kidding, son,_ " his father said. " _We decided not to watch, to give you two some privacy. But the camera will be recording if something goes wrong._ "

" _If everything goes well, I bet something will go right,_ " Ryuzaki said.

"You know what, Ryuzaki," Light said. "Misa was right about you, you're nothing but a pervert."

His father chuckled. " _Light, trust me. I'll keep him under control. Just help Misa the best way you can. Make your father proud._ "

_Proud? What do you mean about that?_ Light wondered. He didn't plan on doing anything.

Just then, Misa entered the room. She wore a short sexy pink dress and her hair fell down to her shoulders. It was not hanging like two half-moons at the sides like normal. He also noticed her breasts looked firmer, bigger than before.

He gulped nervously, then crossed one leg over the other.

"Um, Misa, is all this necessary? It's essentially just a scene reading. I agreed to get into wardrobe, so to speak, but…"

"I wanted to set the tone as best I could," Misa replied. "Sorry, I'm a little late. I was doing some research on the best techniques how to stimulate…I mean, how to preform an erotic massage. I've never actually done it before. Are you ready?"

_That is an interesting question,_ Light thought. "I reviewed the script, and I don't see many lines for me, except for the direction of how to act during some parts. You have the majority of the lines."

"I've decided to skip the lines. Frankly, I just want to get the atmosphere flowing. I need to get my technique down. And as you may have read, there's little or no direction to go on, so we'll have to wing it. I just need to know, well, if you like it."

"Misa, I don't know about this. I mean, shouldn't you wait and do this scene with your co-star to obtain chemistry or something?"

"He's in the middle of shooting another movie. I called the Director just before coming here and he feels you are the perfect choice to practise on, since you're my boyfriend. Are you shy, Light?" She leaned in, and whispered, hand covering her mouth. "Are you still a virgin?"

Light's face blushed and he felt his temperature rise. He pointed at the camera on the wall. "You do know they can see and hear everything, right? So, let's keep this civil. I agreed to this and I'm a man of my word."

Misa looked at he camera. "I think that is an act of voyeurism and its illegal," she said upset.

"Nevertheless, we're both in an unusual situation," he said, and indicated he was chained to the wall. "We agreed that some of our freedoms had to be restricted because of certain circumstances. We're both fighting for our very lives, Misa. We're both trying to clear our name. I'm not Kira. But the way you act sometimes, you pretty much admit to being the Second Kira. But let's forget about all that for the time being and focus on this." He gave her a thin smile. "I'm ready when you are. There's nothing worse than a live action film of a manga that ruins its adaptation because an important aspect is changed for dramatic effect. I want you to do well, so I want to help you do your best."

"That's sweet, Light," she said with a smile. "And I'll be gentle, since this is your first time," she said, winking.

"Hey now…"

_To be continued..._


	44. Security Breach

The moment Light and Misa got started, Soichiro Yagami cut the video feed to the spare room with a button press of L's computer. L was sitting in front of the computer with a bag of popcorn in his hands.

"Leave them to themselves, Ryuzaki," he said. "I trust Light to do the right thing. He is of-age, but I'm trying not to think about it."

"I did buy another shock-wand, Chief," Matsuda said with a smirk. "Light took my other one on his journey into Hokkaido-Jozankei Forest, yet lost it when he went up against Ken Kuzushi. One shock from that and it'll sent him straight if he decides to go further than needed."

"My son is not a dog, Matsuda!" Soichiro said irked, his voice elevated.

"Sorry, sir," Matsuda said. "But since I can't carry a gun anymore, it's the best protection I can think of."

"Still illegal, but I won't tell anyone," Ryuzaki said. "Well, since you won't let me watch…" Ryuzaki ate a few kernels of his popcorn, swallowed. Then said, "That sounded a bit lecherous. Forget it. We'll turn our attention elsewhere. It's just a simple massage, what could happen? If you trust your son, Mr. Yagami, then… In any event, Watari will be keeping an eye on them from the secondary control room. If something untold happens, he has been instructed to let us know."

"Why does that sound even worse, Ryuzaki?" Matsuda put in.

L put up a finger, silencing the young detective.

Then: "Light and Misa are accused of being Kira and the Second Kira and to leave them alone to their own devices is to invite disaster. Someone has to watch them. But I can understand your concern, Matsuda."

Putting the popcorn down, L brushed his hands off, then began to type on his computer. He brought something up onto the large wall screen. A collage of snapshots of media reports, newspaper articles, and a few but out-of-focus and from a distance photographs.

"Recently, the media have been taking a closer look at the escape-artist exploits of our world-master thief Bryant Harvey," L began. "And Watari and I have been collecting a lot of media snippets since Harvey began what I like call his _Houdini'ism_ —the ability to escape any trap with god-like ability. He has made off with millions in jewels and has robbed a dozen banks without being apprehended, despite chased. Mr. Harvey is a master criminal unlike any other and this is what worries me."

L brought up media reports of some of the more recent criminals that had died in prisons around the world, mainly prominent criminals.

"We know the Third Kira is active," he went on, "but why leave Harvey alone to commit his crimes? Kira has had ample time to pass his judgement on him. We know Bryant Harvey is an alias. Therefore, _can_ Kira kill him? Kira needs a face and a person's real name to kill—fake names trip Kira up. Or, and this is a wild theory, is Kira protecting Harvey? Is Kira blackmailing Harvey? Does Kira know Harvey's real name?"

"Could Kira and Bryant Harvey really be working together?" Soichiro put in. He leaned in a little closer to look at one of the blurry pictures of what was supposed to be Harvey in the snapshot of a media report. He adjusted his glasses. "How long as Bryant Harvey been active?"

"That's the odd thing," Ryuzaki said curiously. "Since _before_ Kira appeared on the scene. Harvey also likes to wear disguises, so his face is obscured in many of these awful pictures. There hasn't been on good picture taken of him anywhere."

"We're now in the _third incarnation_ of Kira, so to speak, according to personality traits," Soichiro commented. "This Third Kira is different then the first two versions, just an observation. Not only is Kira murdering criminals, but there are a lot of serious accidents now involving prominent people; businessmen, even politicians, as of late—seemingly just normal people. Kira is almost acting like a hired killer."

"Yes, I've noticed that, too," L said. "Light said he was working on a theory, but he hasn't presented it yet. We'll ask him about it later. A very good theory, Mr. Yagami, and one that I think warrants investigation." Mogi was with them now, he had been doing something else with Watari when Misa came back. "Mogi, can you draw up a list of Kira's deaths from beginning to now? Then cross-reference them to more recent varying political and ecumenical factors?" Mogi nodded, and then left.

L knew it would be a large task for the big guy, but Mogi could handle it. In his profile, he graduated from one of the top schools in Japan with varying degrees in business, finance, and police foundations.

L continued, "To date, law enforcement in many countries are fearful of Kira's reprisal if they help us. Therefore, the same could be said about apprehending Bryant Harvey? Maybe they've come to the same conclusion we have? Hence, Bryant Harvey is left to his machinations. But there's a real danger with that sort of misguided mentality. What if Bryant Harvey becomes more bold, even brash, and escalates his crimes, to say, murder? He's already assaulted people, but to date, no one has been seriously hurt."

"But what can we do about him?" Matsuda asked. "I mean, it's not like we can just go up to him, and ask, 'Hey Bryant Harvey, what's your real name, and are you in league with Kira?'"

L cocked his eye, and gave Matsuda an inquisitive look.

Matsuda appeared taken aback. "What is it, Ryuzaki? What did I say?"

"Interesting choice of words, Matsuda," L said. " _In league with Kira_...similar to the message directed at Kira on the website _Kira's Underground_. If Kira and Bryant Harvey are _in league_ with each other, then I would think at one point in this investigation our paths will cross. And I wouldn't be surprised if Kira sends Bryant Harvey against us by proxy. According to recent media reports, Bryan Harvey is currently in Japan."

"With the upgraded security features in the building, there shouldn't be a repeat like what happened with Jasper Yuta," Soichiro said. "I can't believe Watari got it up and running so fast. But there areas of the building that were destroyed in his assault that still need repair."

"And that will be done at later date," L said. "Right now, those areas are cordoned off. But the spare units on the Residential Level will do us just fine until then. Basically only Light's and my room were rendered inhabitable, the rest are still livable."

L reached into his back jeans pocket and pulled out a flip phone, opened it. A Bluetooth wireless program instantly connected it to the network.

"Recently, I've detected some disturbing activity coming from Light's phone," L said. "When it was agreed he'd work with us, his phone was connected to the network so it could be monitored. I checked it and I learned that is has been hacked. In secret, I removed all threats. Light appears none-the-ware of any of them, however I still have concerns."

"Is that Light's phone? How did you get that?" Soichiro demanded.

"I borrowed it," Ryuzaki said casually. "When I was younger, I used to pick-pocket like a pro before Watari found me, adopted me, and then set me straight, back when I lived in England. Trust me, where Light is, his phone will be the last thing on his mind. I'll give it back."

"That's not the point, Ryuzaki," Soichiro said. "If you hope to trust us, then we need to trust you."

Soichiro went to get it back, but L snatched it away.

"I borrowed it for a very important reason, Mr. Yagami," L continued. "I put a tracker in your son's phone" —L typed on his computer with one hand, accessed a special program, and noticed an unauthorized detection— "and it seems, someone has already hacked into my program. This is consistent with a phone already compromised or cloned. The main security features have a permanent back hole for hackers to spy on its user. It's like unlocking a phone someone purchases from a company retailer that they have set to only work with their network."

"Cloned? How? When?"

"Unknown," L said. "But when it was cloned, the other person had complete access to listen in on our conversions and data exchange. Every number Light has in his Directory is now in the hands of the hacker. I only noticed it after I examined Light's phone when he was incarcerated. And it looks like someone also installed aa application to track Light's whereabouts, apart from my own. So, they know where we are."

"Who could have done this?" Matsuda wondered.

L paused, then: "How well does Light know his friend Demetre Draycott? I spoke to him right after we apprehended Misa Amane. He seemed an okay person, nothing nefarious about him. Yet again, how well do we really know a person? Light did tell us that Demetre Draycott returned his phone after finding it at To-Oh University, but that was after how long? He had plenty of time to clone the phone. Kids these days are really smart and can download the technology to do such things easily. Just clone a phone onto a burner."

"Ryuzaki…" Soichiro began. "Are you accusing Demetre of cloning Light's phone? I know Demetre, and he would never do that."

"You didn't know Light's friend had joined _the Savant Society_ , an elitist cult, either. If the cause is worthy enough, people are capable of anything. The reason remains unclear at the moment, but I would categorize this as a major security breach." L turned off Light's phone, then handed it over to Soichiro. "I would recommend Light get a new phone. And also question why Demetre Draycott did this? If we can find him?"

_To be continued..._


	45. The Moment It All Went Horribly Wrong

Light took a deep breath and then released it slowly as Misa began to apply warm lotion to his shoulders. She began to rub the tissue deeply. Almost immediately, he began to feel really good. He was told to lay down on his stomach with his hands above his head.

He told himself initially that he was going to think of this like a visit to a chiropractor. He had to go to one when he was younger, in middle school, needing a few adjustments after playing a game of Dodge Ball that had gone wrong.

A classmate threw a ball at him and Light went to dodge it, only to catch another ball from another classmate in a vulnerable spot. He twisted the wrong way and had to endure a few sessions with a massage therapist/chiropractor who fixed the issue with excellent treatment.

But this was very different.

Misa used both hands and rubbed some of his normally tight spots. She started at his upper shoulders and neck, then worked down from his shoulders, along his spine, and to his lower back. She told him to relax, but what she as doing caused him to do the opposite.

He tensed up, defensively. He didn't want to open himself up to the full pleasure of it yet. He had never experienced anything like an erotic massage. Then again, this was Misa. As an actress, she had probably see it all, and done much.

Misa said she hadn't done this before, but she was doing a very good job. And it made him wonder if she was telling him the truth?

And yet, he was getting a massage from a beautiful woman who liked him. What was wrong with that? The trouble was, their situation. This was not playtime. They were both accused of being mass murderers and he wanted to clear his name. He didn't have time to waste.

He shivered, like he had just gotten a sudden chill. But he was not cold.

_Oh my god…this feels really good!_

But then he locked up again.

"Don't be so tense, Light," Misa said. "Loosen up a little, your muscles feel like tight knots. Don't you like this?"

"It feels _good_ ," he said responsively.

But he wasn't sure how to truly react. He was a virgin, and this was making him feel things he had never felt before. Should he just act naturally? But he couldn't do that, especially with Ryuzaki and the others watching.

She touched him lower and he flinched, tightened up again.

"Stop it!" She slapped him. He cringed, and hissed from the pain. "I can't do this right if you keep tensing up like this. Just relax, Light."

_And there lies the problem, he thought. I'm trying not to relax too much, because if I do, I know something will happen. I need to keep control._

Misa came over to his right side and then began to rub his mid-back. She moved her hands around gently.

He had no idea what she researched to perform the erotic massage, but her hands, covered in warm lotion and erotic oils felt so good.

_All she said was she was doing to this to get a reaction. If I liked it, then her co-star would..._

But things were different. And it felt like _she_ was liking this way too much. Putting her hands all over him, like some sort fantasy of hers.

Her palms moved in concentric circles as she rubbed his flesh and he withheld a moan, because she touched a sweet spot.

She moved, and her back faced the camera. The others couldn't see what she was doing. Her breasts were now facing him and his head was facing them. He looked up and gulped. From here, they looked exceptionally large like melons. His lips were suddenly parched, dry.

He closed his eyes, and tried to think of something else. And then it happened, he felt a twinge below.

_Don't think about it, Yagami. Think of a math problem…_

"I wish it was smaller, then it this would be easier to deal with," she said. "It's much too big."

His mind suddenly turned to something else entirely.

"The bed, it's too wide," she suddenly said. "I can only get to you from one side. Don't get any wicked thoughts, Light. And don't tell me you didn't, all guys do. So, how do you like it so far?"

She moved back up to his shoulders, and he exhaled a breath. He was beginning to really enjoy it.

He then let out an involuntary moan.

"You like it, eh? That's what I was looking for…" Misa then leaned in and whispered in his ear. "Maybe someday you'll open up to me fully and let me do more things to you that I know you'll enjoy it even better…"

He let out another moan, things were getter more intense. He was feeling really good. And from the reaction he was having, too good.

She reached for his hands, touched them, and gently caressed them all the way down. From his forearms, to his upper arms, to his shoulder blades. Using more lotion that bathed his muscles in warmth. Then she moved down further and it tickled a little when her hands moved across his back, and around to his ribs. She then moved down to his pelvis. The sides of her hands than rubbed his love handles.

Then he flinched as she cupped his buttocks over the towel.

It was only a precursor for where her hands went next. They moved to his upper thighs, cupping one thigh at a time, gently dragging her hands down to each knee cap. He trembled from her touch.

She then reached up into the towel, but he didn't stop her. He was in a good place right now, a form of delirium he had never experienced before, and he didn't want it to stop.

The towel was only supposed to be worn for the initial stage of the massage, but now it was unnecessary, and she removed it, exposing him. It was in the script. But the male protagonist is naked under the towel. It was a little fan service for the audience when it came off, showing his naked backside. Light wore a speedo.

But he didn't care. He knew he wasn't thinking clearly, a weird fog evolving his mind. And he let her do it without protest, closing his eyes.

"I like your speedos, Light," Misa said. "So, you decided to keep the pair Cameron Cross gave you? They look sexy. I like it when a guy wears pink, and it shows they're comfortable with their sexuality. Pink is hot on a guy. So, do you liking my technique?"

Light let out an extended breath and groaned pleasurably. He was in a very good place and did what came natural. He didn't fight it anymore.

"I'm so glad you like it, Light," she said. "And this is just the beginning. We still have so much more to come. I'll make you mine…"

With her back towards the camera and her hands out of sight, she rubbed his lower back and then moved them even lower down, slipping her fingers underneath his speedo. Light didn't protest. It felt too good.

She then used her fingers to massage an area very few males wanted touched, but he didn't resist.

"Oh…" Light exhaled softly.

"Be mine, loverboy…"

"Oh yes…it feels _so good! Oh, Kiyomi!_ "

Misa stopped. "Excuse me? Kiyomi? What the hell?"

Light's eyes shot open. He gasped, releasing his mistake. He looked back at her, folding his leg over slightly, trying to hide a tightness in his speedos. The massage felt so good, that he reacted like anyone would. But now it was fading fast after the critical error.

"I mean, Misa. I meant you, honest!"

She gave him a hand slap on the back and all enjoyment from the massage instantly vanished, pleasure turned to hard pain.

Misa swore, then slapped him repeatedly. Now _she_ did what came natural. And he couldn't get away, chained to the wall.

He folded in like a fetus, trying to defend himself.

Angry couldn't describe how furious she was. "Kiyomi Takada, _huh?_ I do all this, make you feel very good, obviously, and you call out that hussy's name? And old flame from university, too? You men are all the same, you god-damn, chauvinist pig!"

"Ow, ow, ow! Misa! Stop hitting me! _I'm sorry!_ "

_To be continued..._


	46. Dead Man Walking

"So, I think that's the best course of action to take," L said. He finished up a briefing on the Kira Case and on a related issue. "Best to keep on top of things so it doesn't bite us on the rear later," L said. "You never know, one wrong slip-up, and our whole world can come crashing down."

"And when Light and Misa are finished, I'll let Light in on what we found with his phone," Soichiro Yagami said.

Just then, L's computer beeped and a W appeared. "Yes, Watari? What is it?" L inquired.

" _I believe there may be trouble in paradise,_ " the old man said. The camera in the spare room popped up on L's computer and the live footage showed Misa hitting Light like a woman who had just found out that her husband was cheating on her.

" _Ow, ow, ow! Misa! Stop hitting me! I'm sorry!_ "

Light was chained to the wall, and he couldn't get away from Misa's beating.

" _I think someone should get in there,_ " Watari then said. " _I don't think that's part of the scene._ "

The task force reacted quickly and Matsuda ran to the elevator, Soichiro Yagami followed suit, taking it to the Residential Level.

A moment later, they burst into the spare room. L watched on CCTV.

Matsuda pulled Misa off Light, but she struggled fiercely against him. He then locked his arms under hers, holding her back. But her legs continued to thrash about as if they had a mind of their own, trying to kick Light. At one point hitting Soichiro Yagami.

Soichiro Yagami protected his son. Light, seen folded in on himself, his hands protecting his head, begged for them to get Misa away from him. The sound was a little muffled, but L could make out Light repeatedly apologizing for something.

L still had some popcorn left and he grabbed the bag. He started eating it.

It felt like he was getting back to a really good movie, save all the built-up drama, and came in directly at the climax. And he bet, Light hadn't.

L told himself he would later review the CCTV footage and see what transpired to cause Misa to assault Light. For Misa to get _this_ mad, however, it must have been really bad. Super bad! Monumental bad!

" _Son, what happened?_ " he asked. " _Are you okay?_ "

Light clenched his teeth, hissed out in pain. Zooming in with the camera, L saw Light was bleeding in areas where Misa's nails had scratched and gouged his skin, like a wild animal attacking an enemy.

"I'll tell you what happened!" Misa shouted, her teeth gnashing, still struggling against Matsuda. Matsuda was a strong looking guy and he could probably hold himself own in a fight, but against Misa? Nothing worse than a woman scorn. "Your son is a god-damned two-timer!"

Then the real vulgarity began.

* * *

Later that evening, Light sat at his station in the epicentre. He had his chair turned away from the rest of the task force members, his face buried in his computer. He heard quiet whispers and others snickering behind his back.

He felt completely and totally embarrassed after what had occurred. He was back chained to Ryuzaki, but at that moment, he felt like asking Ryuzaki to chain him in some dark hole and then to shoot him to put him out of his misery.

He took a deep breath, sighed, and then rotated his chair to face them. It was like facing his peers at school, ready to be mocked.

"Okay, let's get out all out in the open," he said, wanting it over with. "Make fun of me. I know you reviewed the CCTV."

"Now why would we do that to a fellow task force member?" L said kindly, almost sympathetically. "And frankly, I don't think it's a laughing matter. People make mistakes all the time. It's not like you meant it when you called out an old girlfriend's name why another one pleasured you…"

L smiled thinly, then he snickered.

The rest of the task force suddenly burst out in rapturous laughter.

"Oh my god! Dad? Even you?"

"Sorry son, but you're on your own here," Soichiro Yagami said, chuckling.

Light slapped his hands over his face, put his head down, and let out a long frustrated groan. At that moment, he wished that Kira would kill him.

"May I offer you some sound advise, Light?"

Light looked up at Ryuzaki through his fingers. "Like where to put the gun in my mouth for maximum wounding effect?" he said morbidly.

"I don't think this warrants suicide," L said. "Although you may feel like dying after what I suggest you need to do to make it up to Misa. Self-incrimination is the worse than the actual act. But we all make mistakes. All men make likeminded errors, don't we, guys?"

His father cleared his throat. "Yes, we do," he said. "And I could tell you a few stories about your mother and I."

"We don't need a history lesson, Mr. Yagami. If we don't learn from our mistakes, then we are doomed to repeat them. Time to learn from your mistake, Light." L typed, then turned the computer screen. On the screen was the website for Victoria's Secret. "How deep is your wallet, Light? Woman love gifts. They say, chocolates and flowers are the way to a woman's heart. But I think this situation needs something more personal."

"You want me to buy Misa some sexy lingerie? Seriously?"

"And in your case, Light…you may need to take out a bank loan for this mistake. Misa is the kind of woman who takes things to heart. We all know her affection for you. However that happened, that's yet to be explained. But when she left, after Matsuda dragged her out into the hall, kicking and screaming, she was so furious, I believe she was grumbling something under her breath to the point of cutting something off of you while your slept?"

Light gulped, then crossed one leg over the other.

"Son, get shopping," his father directed. "I'll even let you borrow my credit card."

* * *

For the next few hours, and into the early morning, everything else was put on hold.

The rest of the task force had gone to bed, even Ryuzaki. For a Night Owl, that was unusual for him. But the building security cameras were active and all internet use was monitored, so Light was thoroughly tracked. He was chained to a ring attached in the wall and a makeshift futon was set on the floor, so when he wanted to rest he could.

The world as a whole was forgotten, even the Kira Case.

He had not seen Misa all night, which was a very good thing. And he didn't want to see her until he could figure out how to fix what he had done. He didn't want to spend the rest of his life as a eunuch. Although, in truth, medically, he would be urinating into a bag with a catheter for the rest of his life if Misa did cut something off in anger.

He thought about ordering a year's supply of tea infused with high doses of caffeine to keep him awake if he didn't find anything and ask to be locked in solitary confinement until he did.

He didn't mean to call out Takada's name. Her face just sudden came to mind and her name on his lips.

Light thought of nothing else but getting Misa a present. He hunted websites, searched through directories, and wondered what would best 'I'm sorry' gift to give her. And it had to be something special.

Misa was interested in mainly gothic type clothes, mostly leather and thongs. And yet, getting her clothes felt like it would be a waste of time. A woman knew what they liked, and a man buying clothes for them was like asking for trouble. They could find fault with anything. Especially if they were mad. And Misa was extremely mad! And he didn't even know her measurements.

L said flowers and chocolates was a way to a woman's heart and he thought about ordering some. But then thought against it. Because those where the kinds of gifts one gave to another on White Day, not for an apology. Sexy lingerie was another idea. But then he thought he needed something even better, something from his heart, and something that said he profusely apologized.

Women were strange. Anything could set them off into a tangent and anything could set off their affections into overdrive.

Women were an enigma. At least, to him.

He put his hands to his face. He didn't know what to do.

"Oh my god, I'm a dead man walking!"

Just then, it hit him. He knew what to give Misa.

And hopefully, it would become his saving grace!

_To be continued..._


	47. Apology

When Misa woke up early the next morning, she was still angry about what Light had done. Or rather, what he had said.

_I still can't believe it called out an old girlfriend's name while getting an erotic massage from me? Me!_

They were in a complicated relationship, she knew, living amongst the Kira Task Force, but did Light still have feelings for Kiyomi Takada?

_He said he cared little for anything else other than clearing his name in being Kira. Obviously he lied. So, even in the short time he had been with her, Light still holds a spark for Kiyomi Takada? Does he feel nothing for me?_

She got dressed, and grumbled angrily every bit of the way. She even thought about what kind of blunt instrument to use to attack Light's in his sleep for the betrayal, or a very sharp knife to cut something off.

Then she thought how foolish that was. She was mad, but she wouldn't…

_I…I love Light. Don't I?_

She prepared to leave her room and felt like eating a big breakfast to drown her sorrows— _a bit of comfort food, or angry food, whatever it's called, the kitchen is just down the hall_ —but the moment she opened the door, she was greeted to a small package on the floor in front of her door. It was beautifully wrapped with white paper and a red ribbon and bow.

Picking it up, she looked from side to side down the hall— _who delivered it?_ She had no idea how long it had been sitting here, but it was a surprise that someone would give her a gift.

Feeling it in her hands, it felt a little flimsy like a large paperback book or a magazine. There was no card.

She unwrapped it, and then her eyes lit up with surprise and glee.

It was a First Edition of the Mayu Mayu manga book. And when she looked inside, it was personally sighed by the artist herself. A small white envelope then fell out of the back cover addressed to her.

She opened it, read it: "Misa, I'm very sorry. Please forgive me. Love Light."

Misa felt her heart thump and she hugged the manga, pressing it against her bosom. She smiled excitedly and skipped in the hall with joy.

All her disappointment, anger, and displeasure faded away.

It wasn't the gift that got her, but she knew Light was trying to make a point with it. It was the card and the sentiment of his words. He didn't say, _From Light_ , which someone would say if they were in a platonic relationship. It said _Love Light_.

"From Light with _love!_ " she said. "I knew _you_ loved me!"

* * *

Light stood in the epicentre of the task force headquarters. He was tired. After staying up all night to find a gift for Misa, it only took a brief spark of insight to realize he already had one, and it was a gift that came from the empathic heart.

_I hope when she awakes, she finds it, and..._

When the elevator doors opened, the room was suddenly filled with her voice as she called his name in joyful glee.

" _LIIIIGGGGHHHHHTTTTTT! My sweet, darling Light!_ "

_She found it_ , he thought.

His head began to hurt, over sensitive from lack of sleep. But Misa's voice was like a screaming banshee that would make a dog cringe and run.

He knew what was coming, she was happy—his gift obviously doing the trick—and he prepared himself, as she ran towards him like lightning striking at one-third the speed of _light_. She hugged him so tightly that he had to gasp for breath and literally stumbled backwards with the impact.

He was standing next to his father and L discussing something about the Kira Case, a little early morning brainstorming, when she arrived. Although, with his brain as it was, tired, it felt more like it was a cloudy day than a bright one.

She rose on her tippy-toes and kissed him on the cheek, then said, "Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you! Mistakes happen, right? I forgive you, Light. What a wonderful and thoughtful gift!"

She loosened her grip. "I'm glad you can forgive me for my stupid mistake, Misa," Light said. "I was inspired by our time together. And I remembered when Ryuzaki said he and Watari had collected a lot of my stuff over from my room at home when I came here. It was then I realized there was only _one thing_ I could give you to say I am _really_ sorry. My First Edition of Mayu Mayu that I got signed by the artist. I wanted to give you something that meant a lot to _me_. So, I asked Ryuzaki if I could retrieve it."

L scratched the back of his head. "Yes, and when I got the call, I was having the most wonderful dream about dogs," he said. "Did you know I had a dog when I was younger? I had a Saint Bernard when I was—"

"Yeah, yeah, sure," Misa said, waving him off. Then she fluttered her eyes at Light, and said, "Maybe you'll give me a ring someday, too?" Light's eyes widened, a little scared. "Just kidding," she said half-heartedly. "I really like it, Light. I especially like the note that came with it. I knew you cared about me. But next time, try and remember who is giving you a massage. I'll take off more than just some skin with my nails if it happens again, and I have very sharp nails. How are your wounds, by the way? I hope I didn't hurt you _that_ much?"

Light gulped and took a mental step back, knowing what she meant by _I'll take off more than just some skin with my nails if it happens again_.

"Everything is fine…" he said nervously. "Nothing to worry about," he lied. "Once again, I'm sorry, Misa."

"That's okay," she said. Then wrapped her arm around his left arm. "Now, would you like to escort me to the lobby like a proper gentleman does the lady he loves? I have to work today. My Manager will get the car."

"Sure," Matsuda said, who was also there. "I'm heading down to the underground right now. Give me a few minutes." He left.

"Well, okay. But Light has to come to," L finally spoke up, the handcuffs evident on both of them. Light rolled his eyes, shook his head. "Fine, just this one last time, Light. I'll free you, so you can escort your lady to her car. It is the gentlemanly thing to do after everything said and done. You'll be watched by CCTV the entire way, anyway, so no funny business, and keep your hands where I can see them."

"Ryuzaki!" Light said curtly. Then smiled, "Thanks."

* * *

L watched Light and Misa enter into the elevator, hand in hand. Then he turned to the CCTV and watched then inside. He knew that Light was only catering to Misa's whims, but was there actually a spark between them?

At Light's university, he knew Light was dating another student Kiyomi Takada and hers was he name he called out during the erotic massage.

Light was a good looking guy, but to what degree of affection did he hold towards Misa? L figured it was less than ten percent, maybe close to five percent. Light was the kind of guy who liked intelligent woman and Misa Amane was not a smart girl.

L had researched Misa's career and was a fan of her movies, but there was just something very dark about her—other than being accused of acting as _the Second Kira_. Her parents were murdered by a burglar in front of her eyes during a break and enter gone wrong, and she thanked Kira for killing the murderer. And all of sudden, her mysterious affection for Light appeared, and only after _he_ was accused in _being_ Kira—a very dark figure himself.

Misa was a child actress before the murders and she was able to stand on her own after their deaths. But how she managed to survive without therapy was a little bit of a mystery. Her case was cut and dry. But her mental state was something to be desired.  
He was just glad to help Light out when he needed it.

The last thing L needed was a wild woman going after his prime suspect with a knife, killing his best lead to catch Kira.

_To be continued..._


	48. The Houdini of Crime

The entire building had an automatous Artificial Intelligence system that was installed after the incident with Jasper Yuta, but even without handcuffs Light had no inclination to leave the building or even attempt an escape.

Light knew what L meant by he would allow Light to be free one last time, but watched. Every other time, when he began to trust Light, something weird or bizarre took place, and Light had to be chained up again.

Light had been allowed to roam the building free under an experimental period just before Jasper Yuta and his gang attacked it, disabling its security systems, when he targeted Light for something in the past. Then there was the incident with Ken Kuzushi, where Light was forced to wear an ankle bracelet when he went to rescue his family in Hokkaido-Jozankei Forest, and Light lost it. And then, most recently, on Cameron Cross's yacht, where the entire crew mysteriously died with he and Misa being the only survivors after they were invited on board by its owner.

He felt like a trapped dog, but it was a cage he accepted. At least for the time being until he completely cleaned his name.

They took the elevator down to the lobby alone, hand in hand.

Light still felt the relationship was one-sided and the card in the manga book was not _his_ idea.

He originally wanted to write _From Light_ , but then it was Ryuzaki who suggested _Love Light_. Ryuzaki said it would be in Light's best interest if he wanted get married and have children one day. And after the reaction he got, Light mentally thanked the detective for his great insight.

"Oh, Light," Misa began, "thank you again for the wonderful gift. I'll cherish it forever."

"You're welcome," he said, when they arrived at the lobby, stepping out of the elevator.

They walked to the lounge and seating area. There had been a security desk with a holographic projection of a guard in the lobby, but it was removed due to its futility after the Jasper Yuta Case.

Light recalled he was a kid when he got the manga signed. It didn't mean much to him now, but when he was younger he spent hours in line to get it autographed. And, to a degree, to give it to Misa broke his heart, because he knew it wouldn't mean anything to her in a couple of days.

Just then, a courier arrived at the double glass entrance doors to the building carrying a boutique of red roses and a heart-shaped box of chocolates. He knocked. The courier was wearing a light tan uniform with a cap pulled over his eyes. Light wondered if it had anything to do with the gusty winds outside and that it was the courier's way to keep it from blowing away while his hands were full.

Couriers had to hard time on the streets in Japan, especially those who rode bikes or scooters with all the traffic. And then there was the weather.

Light looked at the courier and wondered if the man had made an error in location? Was he knocking—or rather tapping with his boot—to ask for directions? No one here ordered roses or chocolates, although he had thought it.

The doors had a restricted security feature protocol that prevented someone from entering the building without a keycard or access code, so no one could just walk right in. Watari had let Misa in earlier from the secondary control room the old man normally resided in, kind of like a gatekeeper house. However, someone could give access from within with a push of a button on the wall next to one of the doors.

The polite thing to do was to ask where the man was going and then usher him in the right direction.

"Excuse me, Misa," Light said. "I'll see what he wants…"

Light left her, then pushed the button on the wall that opened the double glass doors, giving the courier access to the building.  
The wind blew ferociously, the surrounding buildings acting like a wind tunnel.

"Whoa! Thank you," the courier said graciously. He had a definite American accent and spoke English. Light could understand him easily. In high school, he was at the top of his ESL (English as a Second Language) class. "Some wicked wind out there, eh? Thanks buddy!"

"You're welcome," Light said. "But I'm afraid you may have the wrong address."

"Nope, don't think so," the courier said assuredly. "Flowers and chocolate for a Misa Amane at this address. Same name as that movie address…but what are the odds of that, huh? From some guy named Light. Probably a fan or maybe an admirer? But what a weird name, eh? Reminds me of a toy I once knew called _Light Bright_. A toy to entertain Autistic children, I don't know?"

Light frowned. The man was brash, that was for sure.

Misa took the flowers and then sniffed them. "Oh Light, you really outdid yourself. They're beautiful! The book, the card, the flowers and chocolate…I think someone is going to get a big _surprise_ tonight."

"But, I…"

"Ain't that the truth? Lucky dog! A pretty girl like this one should know a few good tricks in bed to get you going, eh? And, tell you the truth, you do look a lot like that famous actress. But, of course, I already knew that."

Suddenly, the courier reached into his uniform jacket and pulled out a Gloc-7 pistol. He pointed it at Light.

He lifted his cap, but kept it on. The courier was a young-looking man, in his mid or even late twenties. He had reddish-coloured hair that may or may not have been dyed, like part of some disguise.

Misa dropped the roses and the box of chocolates. Light put up his hands slowly.

The courier appeared to look Light over from head to toe. "Boy, you _are_ pretty tall, just like your profile," the gunman said. "And what a waste," he added, looking at the flowers and box of chocolates on the floor. "Those cost nearly two hundred dollars or close to twenty-two thousand yen." He shrugged. "But pennies on the dollar for what I'm getting for this job."

"What job? Who are you?" Light asked, hands up.

"My client put out a hit on you, Light Yagami, and offered me a large sum of cash on the spot. I was told where to find you, so there was no effort to get here, other than stealing this uniform and ditching the courier in some alley. The flowers and chocolate were obviously for someone else, I tossed the card. Sad to say, the person they were destined for will be disappointed. Doubly sad is, you'll be the second person I'll kill today. I've never been a killer, seems a little too high profile for me. But hey, everyone's gotta change it up a little to survive. Am I right?"

"Again, _who_ put out a contract out on me?" Light insisted. "I haven't _done_ anything to warrant such a thing?"

The gunman shrugged. "Not my problem," he said. "Wait! We've been talking for a short spell and I haven't introduced myself. Forgive my manners. I'm the man every media outlet is talking about, _the Houdini of Crime_ , _the Master of Disguises_ , and one of the handsomest devil's you'll ever meet. The media also has another name for me, too, but I don't care for it. My name is…"

"Bryant Harvey," Light said straightly.

Bryan Harvey smiled broadly. "Ah, so even my wondrous exploits have made it all the way to Land of the Cherry Blossom. I'm American, so I normally stick to home. But if the incentive is right, I step out of my comfort zone. Like now."

"Your criminal activity is known world wide," Light stated.

Bryant Harvey smiled again. "Yeah, I'm famous! I'm just like Kira in a way. Only I don't hide in the shadows like a coward."

"Rumour has it, you can't be killed by Kira. Do you and Kira have some sort of working partnership?"

"Well, you could say that. But I've noticed Kira has changed up his MO lately, like he's suffered some sort of personality change. I'm not sure of it myself. At first, he left me alone, and said that he would be in touch if I was ever needed. And if I wanted to live, I would _not_ kill. He claimed he knew my real name, got in touch with me by encrypted text. So, I did what Kira asked. But, other than that, I never heard from him."

"And now?"

"There's this new person behind the reigns, so to speak. I can't explain it. And I just recently met someone who claimed to be Kira's associate. He gave me all your information and paid me a shit load of cash to kill you. Like I said, this _new_ Kira is a whole different breed than the last one."

_Kira's power can swing from person to person, that was one of Ryuzaki's theories,_ Light thought.

"Kira kills himself, he doesn't get others to do his dirty work for him," Light explained. "Who is this _someone_ who wants _me_ dead?"

"Here I invoke client confidentiality privilege," Bryant Harvey said, waggling a finger on his free hand. "Wouldn't want it to get back to Kira that I ratted out his associate. And unlike in the movies where a villain spews out a complete monologue telling the hero everything just before he's about to be killed, I'm not stupid. I'm just a guy being paid to do a job. I'll leave the hard thinking to others."

"I deserve to know who wants to take my life!" Light demanded.

Harvey laughed. "Actually, you don't. Let's just say, it will be one of life's great mysteries. Okay, enough talk. Time to get the job done!"

Suddenly, the elevator dinged in the lobby, and the doors began to open.

Bryant Harvey wasted no time and fired upon the elevator. He fired two shots, which caused its occupant to hug the walls.

Light snapped his attention to the elevator, but couldn't see who had come down.

"Stop it!" he shouted, and then, without thinking, stepped in the line of fire, stopping Harvey from shooting.

He looked back and saw his father peaking out from the elevator, then the doors beginning to close. His father protested, but Watari most likely overrode them to keep him inside. It was a good thing, too, he didn't want his father hurt. His father most likely saw what was happening, L monitoring everything on CCTV. But what could his father really do without a weapon?

Bryant Harvey looked impressed. "Pretty bold, I could've killed you," he said. "Trying to look brave in front of your girlfriend? The famous actress, and what a catch!"

Light gave him a harsh look. "I thought killing me _was_ your plan? If _I'm_ going to die, then no one _else_ will."

"Yup, that's the plan, and that's what I intend to do. But don't be so quick to die, hero. Let's just say, heroes often fail. Don't believe everything you see in movies, kid—where a hero often come out on top." Bryant Harvey took a brief glance around. "First, what is this place? This isn't your typical commercial building. I heard rumours that this is where the great detective L is housed up in? Is it true? I would like to meet him."

Just then, a sound was heard from the speaker system of the building like someone was tapping on a microphone. Light looked at the nearest ceiling speaker, then at the closest CCTV. He noticed it had turned and was now pointed directly at them.

" _Is this thing on?_ " came L's voice's. He cleared his throat. " _Ferret, Bryant Harvey, or whatever you call yourself—this is L. I hear you want to meet me. Sorry, but that's not possible—let's chat instead. Murder and hostage taking is a nasty business and I would like to avoid any unnecessary bloodshed, if it can be helped? Let's talk. How much are you getting for this job? I'll double it._ "

_To be continued..._


	49. An Empathic Reveal

Under the early morning sunshine, in an outdoor gardens just off the Savant Mansion at the base of Mount Fuji, near a Shinto Temple, Demetre and Dana took a stroll on a weaving cobblestone pathway. It was a little chilly, but Demetre didn't mind. He dressed for the weather.

Dana enjoyed looking at the many different species of flora and fauna, so carefully cared for by Buddhist monk botanists, while he merely came out for a walk to clear his head. But for some reason, he was more stressed now than he was before he came. Different thoughts flooded his mind about all sorts of things and he couldn't organize any of it, it wasn't like him. He could normally compartmentalize easily. Not this time, and it was stressing him out. Something was nagging at him.

Demetre had his hands in his jacket pockets, as Dana crouched, stopping to examine a species of Shibazakura flower, a pink flower that grew all around the base of Mount Fuji. In fact, when in full bloom, along with cherry blossoms, Mount Fuji, was surrounded with a necklace of pink.

"Aren't these beautiful, Demetre?" Dana said.

Demetre didn't turn, just said, "Yes, they are."

"Lovely sky, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is."

"How about we take off all our clothes and then ravish each other like wild animals in these flowers?"

"Sure, sounds nice," Demetre said absentmindedly.

Demetre continued to look at Mount Fuji, his mind somewhere else.

Then Dana wrapped her arm around his right arm. It jarred him out of his reverie. He noticed her, then looked at her strangely. He saw a concerned look on her face.

"What's wrong?"

"I should ask you that question," she said. "I just offered to have sex with you, but you shrugged it off like I was offering you a snack."  
"You did?"

"Tell me what's wrong."

"I'm not sure where to begin."

"Is it about Light Yagami?"

"There's a starting point," he said. He sighed, nodded. "It's weird, but I still consider him a friend even after all the abhorrent things he's done, even killing my grandfather. I'm so conflicted. Why Am I the one who feels guilty?"

"Because you're a good person, Demetre," Dana said, giving him a peck on the cheek. "You're a member of _the Savant Society_ now, but you're also an oddity. You don't use your Death Note. Those who possess Death Notes know the consequences of using their notebooks, but they accept it. In your case, and by not using it, I think you're actually saving lives. Not using a book of death, it's pages left empty, is unheard of. Kira would fill up the pages without question. This _other_ Kira now is killing criminals, while Light and Misa Amane are trapped under L's thumb. You told us what Geist showed you of the _Kira Incident_ from his future, but this new Kira is someone else entirely—the name you gave us, that person was murdered by this _new_ Kira for a crime. We don't know who _this_ Kira is. Although he does have similar qualities. Tacoma and the rest of the Council is looking into his actions now. And hopefully we can find him before he does any real damage."

"In Geist giving me a Death Note, did it somehow alter an aspect of the timeline? This 'Third Kira' is not the same I saw?" Demmy asked.

Dana nodded.

Then Demetre said, "Nevertheless, I could use it and be just like Kira and make the world safer, right? That is Light's goal. But I'm not like Light and I don't want to be anything like him. But if I had to, I would use the Death Note to save you."

"Would you use it to save Light?"

Demetre looked at her, but didn't answer.

Then: "I sent those cryptic messages on _Kira's Underground_ not to warn Light, but as an invitation for him to join _the Savant Society_ , so I could lead him away from the darkness. To save his soul. We need good people here if we are to protect ourselves from _the League of Darkness_. They feel the world should be controlled under _authoritarian rule_ , instead of the Society's view of co-habitation with Shinigami. I know Light's soul can be saved and his sins absolved. Light sent back a message. I read it, but I didn't reply. It's now been deleted, and I went through the entire website and deleted all my known aliases. I won't be using _Kira's Underground_ anymore."

"You're worried about _something else_ , as well, aren't you?" asked Dana.

Demetre nodded. "Zurn's been gone for weeks now and no one seems to know where he went. Officially, he took some vacation time from the NPA, but he has had no contact with _the Savant Society_. The last person to see him was Adam Rothschild. Zurn's absence concerns me. And now rumours are floating around about his possible deflection to _the League of Darkness_. I'm worried he may betray us."

"Zurn is a breed of human of his own conception with a wicked soul," Dana said harshly. "It's against Society law, but I wish someone would…well, you know?"

Demetre smiled. "Now Dana, it's not nice to wish harm upon another, even a horrible person like Zurn. Trust me when I say, he'll get his just-desserts eventually. Besides, I still owe him for the punishment I went through. God accepts consequences of equal action, even though a lot of people frown upon it. It's also Newton's Third Law of Physics. Every action has an equal and opposite reaction. Since God created humans, and life in all its glory, we must follow His laws."

Dana giggled. "Oh, Demetre," she said. "I love your logic. It's so innocent."

Just then, they received a visitor.

Adam Rothschild seemed to pop out of nowhere from behind a collection of tightly knit trees close-by, near the multi-stacked-level Shinto Temple. He carried Cerberus with him, his small, puffy Pomeranian dog, which was actually a Shinigami in animal form. This was the form Cerberus chose to take with Adam, a cute dog, rather than his true form. Demetre had never seen Cerberus's actual form, but Adam described it like the legendary Greek folklore, a three-headed wolfhound. And he had multiple attacks. He breathed fire, ice, and wind.

"Hello Adam," Dana greeted with a smile. "What brings you all the way out here?"

"I was actually in the temple talking with a monk," Adam said with a smile. "I often come here to seek guidance from the temple monks when I'm feeling a little down with my gift. A little prayer helps with cleaning out the noise."

Demetre leaned over and ruffled the boy's hair. "Must be tough having such a difficult ability," he said. "Able to read people's minds."

"I don't read minds, I read people's emotions," Adam corrected. "I'm empathic. I know when a person is being deceptive. But Zurn Wellington is the kind of person I can't read when he gets angry. He seems to be able to put up a barrier against my gift."

"We were just talking about him," Demetre said, looking at Dana. "We were wondering where he's been for the last few weeks."

"You don't have to wonder anymore, he's back," Adam said. "I just spoke to him before coming here. He said he was away on a sabbatical to hone inner-peace. Right from the beginning, I knew that was a lie. He's not a peaceful man, he loves violence and chaos. He thrives on it. And for a split moment, I caught something within his thoughts before he managed to shut me out. He seems to know when I probe his emotions and immediately puts up a shield when his consciousness detects an intrusion."

"What did you see?"

Cerberus seemed to whine for a moment, Adam began to pet him. "I'm not exactly sure. The face of a man I've never seen before. Zurn and this man were talking about something, somewhere. The man looked 'wrong', that's all I know how to describe him." Adam's eyes fluttered, as if he was looking inward. "And I managed to get a name: _Christian Troy_. But I have no idea who he is and I wish you could see his face. Zurn plans to use this man to assassinate your friend, Light Yagami. I think there's a sinister plan to take control of everyone who owns a Death Note and eliminate those not associated under our banner. Light Yagami is a lone wolf. And lone wolves are very dangerous, unpredictable."

Demetre gasped shocked. "I need to warn Light," he said. "Damn it! I erased all my handles on _Kira's Underground_."

"Then we need to go to him, Demetre," Dana said. "And this way, you can confront him for what he did to your grandfather. Patch things up."

Demetre shook his head. "Things will never be the same between Light and I, Dana," he said. "But I think you're right. I need to speak to Light directly and clear the air. Only then will this hatred in my heart be subdued. I hate feeling this way. I think that's why I feel so conflicted."

"Let's go!" Dana then said.

"Good luck and god speed!" Adam said, and Cerberus yipped.

Demetre and Dana rushed back to the Savant Mansion. They spoke along the way, and agreed they needed to get a few things before they left. And one thing Demetre needed was his Death Note. Just in case.

Demetre just hoped he wasn't too late.

_To be continued..._


	50. To Rescue Light

There was no direct route from Mount Fuji to the Kanto Region in Japan.

The last few times he and Dana travelled back to the region was to visit his parents who lived there where he told them that he was living with Dana now in a shared apartment. It wasn't a lie, but the full truth of exactly where was exaggerated.

They had taken his new motorcycle. He had most recently purchased it from an allowance all Society members received and were afforded by _the Savant Society_ from private resources and investors from their more wealthy members. Therefore, they could take their time.

He knew how to ride. His father used to ride dirt bikes when he was younger, teaching him. And riding a motorcycle was similar.

They needed to get to Light fast. Their destination was the building that housed the Kira Task Force Headquarters in downtown Kanto. And the Shinigami had a much quicker way to get there.

Geist had used a spacial gateway to originally come to the Human World, a kind of dimensional warp, coupled that with a time vortex that he transfixed to take him one thousand years into the past, so he could experience the _Kira Incident_. It was a serious event that inevitably changed Geist's culture forever, that he later revealed he wanted to alter events to help his world from the Shinigami King's tyranny. Geist had suggested the gateway when Demetre said that time was of the essence. It would be able to take them from one location of the planet to the next in seconds.

Each Shinigami had the ability to call up the gateway at any time, it was their only way back to the Shinigami Realm.

Most recently, Demetre has learned Light had visited the Shinigami Realm. Geist was told this by another Shinigami who witnessed the whole thing after the other came over and was partnered with a human through _the Savant Society_. Both Light and Ryuk encountered another Shinigami who had a hook for an arm—Killogi, a vicious Shinigami who had a bad temper. But they managed to leave pretty much unharmed.

Demetre's burner phone of Light's—for which he used to listen in whenever Light called his father, so he could get information on the Kira Task Force—had been confiscated by Zurn Wellington and seemingly destroyed, or at least that was what he was told. In truth, he doubted it. Most likely the burner phone had been used to track Light's location, hence the assassin sent to kill him by Zurn.

Demetre did not know what this man, the assassin, looked like. He had no pictures to go on, only a name.

Adam's drawings of the man's face provided little help. He didn't want to hurt the kids feelings, but Adam was a horrible artist. The kid was still young and he had many years to practice. But what Demetre really needed right now was a policeman's artist rendering.

Demetre was dressed all in black. Black jeans, shirt, boots and gloves, with an open leather jacket. He dressed the way he felt, dark. The crucifix he was wore under his shirt was his light within the darkness he felt in his heart. It was the only thing that protected him in giving him strength to overcome his hate he felt for Light. Demetre's grandfather was murdered by Kira/Light by heart attack and he hated his friend for what he did.

Dana dressed appropriately, similar to Demetre, to take a ride on a motorcycle with the wind sheers they may experience.

Demetre brought a shoulder pack with him and he slung the strap across his chest to secure it. Inside was his Death Note and a gun. He didn't like using weapons, but he had it if needed. And against an assassin with a gun of his own, he may have to use it. But only as a last resort. The same went with the Death Note. He had only used the notebook once and he had second thoughts of ever using it again, even to save Light.

They were outside of the Savant Mansion. He mounted his bike. Dana mounted the motorcycle behind him. Geist and Angel, their Shinigami, stood next to it.  
"Once the gateway is open and you enter into aperture, you'll be instantly transported to a new place," Geist said. "Be weary of your thoughts. The gateway instantly becomes attuned to its first user, whomever enters it first, and takes them where they wish to go. And when you get to your destination, take note of where you are. Focus. You may or may not feel a little disoriented as this is your first time using it. It helps to concentrate on an object until your mindset asserts itself to the your current surroundings. As you know, this planet rotates on an axis, so even when you think you've emerged at a certain location, it might be slightly off due to this universes displacement variances."

"Be exact in where I want to go," Demetre nodded. "or be spattered across someone's windshield like a bug. Got it!"

Geist growled under his so-called breath, as if to tell Demetre to take what he said seriously.

"Let's go! We don't have much time," Demetre then said. "From what you showed me in the timeline about the _Kira Incident_ Geist, this assassin is an unknown variant—this attack on Light never happened before. I don't know what will occur. But one thing I do know is we have to stop him from killing Light, or the timeline could be irreparably altered—and more than you want it to be Geist. It _was_ your purpose in coming to my world a thousand years from the future, right? It could be disastrous for _everyone_ if Light's murder isn't prevented."

The Shinigami didn't say anything.

Since he knew what the future foretold, _What if_ Light _did_ die?

_What if_ Hitler had not been saved from drowning by a priest as a child?

_What if_ Julius Caesar had never been saved by his people after he was kidnapped by pirates and imprisoned on an isolated island?

_What if…_

"Okay, do it!" Demetre told Geist.

Geist waved a hand in the air and a grey slit fissure of electrified energy suddenly appeared in the space before them, opening up a round subspace aperture. It reminded Demetre of an angry hurricane storm.

Demetre could feel its energy drawing him in, like a void of darkness. It frightened him a little, because it reminded him of biblical stories he was told by his grandfather when he was a boy— _the Chariots of Fire_ in the Book of Elijah was the first thing that came to mind.

" _But you will not go out in haste,_ " Demetre spoke, as he looked into the bowls of the chaotic gateway. " _Nor will you go as fugitives; For the LORD will go before you, And the God of Israel will be your rear guard._ Isaiah 52:12."

"You and your Bible verses," Geist said grumbled.

" _And He will never leave you nor forsake you,_ " Dana said in reply. " _Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged_. Deuteronomy 31:8."

Demetre turned around and smiled at her. "Thank you," he said. Then turned back and put on his helmet. Dana put on hers.

He then felt Dana's arms as she wrapped them around his waist. He knew she felt nervous by how tight she was squeezing him.  
He revved up his motorcycle, then mentally prepared himself to enter the alien aperture. Only a few months back, this was nothing but science fiction—yet no longer. He now knew of a world beyond his own. Was be privileged? And how many more worlds were out there?

They raced into the gateway. The Shinigami followed.

Seconds later, they emerged.

Unfortunately, it was not where Demetre hoped to be.

The gateway ejected them into open space and the motorcycle went into a free fall above the roof of the Kira Task Force building, a hefty windstorm further complicating their descent. They both screamed as the motorcycle plummeted.

Demetre thought quickly. He got up into a crouch on the seat, grabbed Dana, and leapt off the bike, pushing to a safe distance upwards, as the motorcycle hit onto the roof, bounced twice, then exploded—its gas tank igniting into flames.

For a few moments, it felt like they were floating in midair. Then reality struck them.

Demetre held onto Dana, hugging her to protect her from the impact when they hit one of the flat HVAC industrial metal fan grates on the roof. It partially cushioning their fall, bouncing off of it.

They moment Demetre hit, however, he involuntarily, he let go of her. But their momentum kept on them rolling across other grates. Demetre managed to slow, but Dana spun away from him in another direction. He extended his arm, just missing her, as she rolled out of reach.

"Dana!" he shouted, as she suddenly rolled over the edge of the building.

"Demetre!" she cried, as her hands just barely obtained a handhold.

Demetre was there in seconds, racing as if his own life depended on it. He grabbed one of her hands, then hauled her up.

Once up and on solid ground, they lay on their backs next to each other. The ordeal now fully realized, they breathed heavy, hearts pounding. Fright and excitement encompassed them.

Demetre said a silent prayer thanking God for their good fortune and giving him the fortitude to save Dana.

Then he got to his feet and ripped off his helmet, throwing it to the ground, it bounced away. Dana took off hers but no so quickly, standing.

He snapped his attention to Geist, angrily. "What the hell happened?" he chided the Shinigami. "We could have been killed!"

"Demetre…" Dana said, trying to calm him.

Angel was at her side, her wings spread angelically, symbolic of Demetre's faith—that an angel was with them, saving them from harm.

"You must have imagined the wrong place or the planet's axis shifted?" Geist shrugged. "I told you it may happen. I'm not to blame."

Demetre snorted frustration, as he looked at the fiery wreckage of his new motorcycle. Heavy winds blew at the flames keeping them ablaze. He would have to buy a new one— _the Savant Society_ would reimburse him. Or his warranty would.

Demetre's dark hair whipped wildly in the wind, putting perspective of just how gusty it was on the roof. There was a storm coming. He looked up at the darkened sky. Only a little while before, they were at the base of Mount Fuji were the sky was blue and the weather beautiful.

Dana took his hand and squeezed it. "We're alive, Demmy," she said. "That's all that matters."

He turned, looked into her face. Artificial light shone around them and it made her eyes sparkle like pearls in the sea.

"Yes…" he replied, then her kissed her on the lips. He was totally in love with her. He pulled back. "I honestly don't know what I would do without you. If something ever happened to you, I would probably go crazy. I love you, Dana Chika."

"And I love you, Demetre Draycott," she responded lovingly.

Angel and Geist stood together. Demetre wasn't sure if it was a trick of the light or that he was seeing things, but he thought he saw the Shinigami holding hands. Gods of death expressing emotion and care for one another. It was an unconventional sight.

"Okay, let's go save Light," he said, fixing his shoulder pack.

Demetre looked around, then went to a roof hatch which was a doorway set inside a concentrate block enclosure. He tried the handle, it was locked. He then kicked it and broke it. Opening the door, a light inside showed him a set of steps that descended to a lower stairwell.

Demetre and Dana went down the flight of steps to a door that lead into an elevator lobby. Geist and Angel followed.

He opened the door, looked first, and with the coast clear, he and Dana went to an elevator. He pressed the button to call it. Numbers counted up.

Moments passed, when finally the doors to the elevator opened. And to his surprise, Soichiro Yagami, Light's father stood inside. He also noticed something else in the walls, bullet holes.

Soichiro Yagami gasped with shock. "Demetre? Dana? What the devil—"

"Hardly the devil," Demetre said cryptically. "You may want to look elsewhere, but close by for _Him_."

Dana nudged him, before to he said something regretful.

"No time to explain, Mr. Yagami," he then said. "I know Light is in trouble. Don't ask me how."

He reached into a shoulder pack and pulled out his gun. He cocked it.

Suddenly, the Death Note fell out and landed on the floor near the elevator, bounced once, and opened partially. Soichiro went to pick it up.

"Stop! Don't touch that!" Demetre shouted.

Light's father halted in place.

Realizing his hostile tone, Demetre then said, "I'm sorry, Mr. Yagami. I didn't mean to yell. It's just my notebook" —Demetre picked it up— "it's very important to me. Sorry if I startled you."

"Demetre," Dana said, worriedly.

Demetre gave her a thin smile, stuffing the Death Note back into his shoulder pack.

Geist said something to Demetre, and Demetre responded with a nod and a grunt since he couldn't respond orally or Light's father would ask. Both Demetre and Dana got into the elevator alone, the Shinigami not following. But no buttons were pushed. The doors closed.

Soichiro looked stunned by the gun. Then he said, "A man has Light and Misa held at gun point in the main lobby. You may want to give me that, son. Judging by the way you reacted to me attempting to pick up your notebook, you're a little nervous. I'm a police officer, and in the current situation it's best I have it. It is illegal for someone of your age to possess or even handle one without a license. You could go to jail."

Demetre looked at him with a serious stare.

Soichiro Yagami sighed. "Look, I know you know how to use a gun. I taught you well during our annual sabbaticals in Hokkaido-Jozankei Forest with Light when we hunted game. You are an excellent shot, but you have no idea what you're up against, son. Give me the gun! And tell me how you got here?"

Demetre refused to hand over the gun even after Soichiro extended a hand for it. He also refused to answer his question.

Light's father then pulled back after a few icy moments.

"Tell me everything that's happened, Mr. Yagami," Demetre said staunchly. "Start from the beginning."

Soichiro nodded. "Of course," he said without protest. He then looked at Dana. "Welcome back, my dear. My wife told us you were looking for Light, that the both of you visited our home. Light has missed you very much. We all wondered why you left so suddenly."

Dana looked a little nervous. "I think I need to explain a few things, Mr. Yagami," she said. "And leaving had nothing to do with your son."

Soichiro put a hand on Demetre and Dana's shoulders, and smiled. "As long as you're happy, Dana," he said. "And we already know about you two. But Light would still like to see you for old times sake after we deal with this situation."

"I would like to _see_ him, too," Demetre said, holding the gun tightly.

Demetre pushed the button for the lobby.

_To be continued..._


	51. Even An Angel Can Fail

Geist and Angel had gone ahead to the main lobby. Geist had suggested it and Demetre had agreed with a non-verbal grunt.

Demetre knew the Shinigami would not be able to fit in the elevator. Soichiro Yagami couldn't see them, but just because something was not seen, didn't mean it wasn't there taking up space?

Demetre thought of Archimedes' (the ancient Greek mathematician) principle of _Floating Bodies_. The basic premise hinged on the physical law of buoyancy that stated that any _body_ completely or partially submerged in a fluid (gas or liquid) at rest acted upon an upwards (or outwards) force and pushed out with the magnitude of equal ratio.

The same thing related to the space around a person especially if it was confined. There was not enough room for three humans and two Shinigami in the elevator despite the capacity reserved for twenty individuals. But the calculation was based on a human average weight ratio—not gods' of death with an undetermined weight.

Shinigami were vastly more broad about the shoulders and larger then the average human.

Geist himself stood over nine foot tall, not to mention Angel, who stood just as tall but slimmer. However, the combined weight of both Shinigami would far outweigh the ratio that the elevator could take and the cable would snap.

So, it was a good thing Geist and Angel went on ahead. They could displace themselves through walls anyhow. In fact, Demetre bet they were already down in the lobby observing the hostage taking events unfolding below.

"I'm sure you're not fully aware of the current situation, Demetre," Light's father began. "I know you're here to help, but how did you know Light was in trouble in the first place? And how did you get here?"

"Let's just say it was an _empathic feeling_ ," Demetre replied. "And how we got here, well...I'll tell you later."

_A lie_ , he thought. He couldn't tell Light's father that he rode through a god of death's spacial gateway on a motorcycle traveling nearly a hundred miles within seconds. He would just sound crazy.

Later, Soichiro Yagami and the rest of the Kira Task Force, including L, would learn of the existence of the Death Note—but not for a little while, and not until they apprehended the _Third Kira_.

_But that future would change irreparably if Light died here! This unknown Third Kira would then become Kira!_

He saw Soichiro Yagami once again look at the gun. Obviously, Demetre holding it made the man nervous since he was the veteran here and was completely unarmed. In Japanese law, if a person was not in law enforcement or did not have a license, they were forbidden to carry a gun.

Light's father was an ex-policeman who joined the Kira Task Force. Did Soichiro Yagami refuse to carry a weapon because he was no longer with the NPA? Demetre wasn't sure. But the fact that he had asked for it told Demetre what he needed to know.

_But even a gun would not prevent Kira's judgements_ , Demetre thought. _Nothing short of Kira's exposure will._

Kira/Light had killed a lot criminals and sacrificed innocent lives for his agenda, but Demetre knew about the underground resistance generated by the criminal underworld and they were untouchable to Kira using fake names to hide. He bet this infuriated Kira.

_Even though you've lost your memories, Light, when you do eventually regain them, you'll want to catch the Third Kira and kill him, then retake the power you once covenanted. You always hated when you lost at chess to me, you could never beat me. You're a sore loser._

The _new_ Kira who was now killing criminals in lieu of Light and Misa carried on Kira's judgments. A Shinigami by the name of Rem had found a new person with Kira's intentions, according to what Geist told Demetre. Unfortunately, it was not the same person Geist told him about that interacted in the original _Kira Incident_. And that concerned Demetre.

_Some events in the timeline have been altered because of my introduction into events and I don't know if it's a good or bad thing?_

But he would worry about that later.

Right now, Light was his main concern.

He had to rescue his friend from the assassin that Zurn Wellington had sent to kill him. It would have been simpler for Zurn to use his Death Note to kill Light by heart attack, but obviously that was too easy. Zurn's Shinigami, Prometheus, obviously wanted to be entertained.

Prometheus was an Ethereal-type Shinigami. There were many types, some took solid form and some were ghostly. And some were just plain demonic, like those who associated themselves with _the League of Darkness_ —cultists that thought humans should be ruled over.

But like all Shinigami, no doubt Prometheus wanted Zurn to entertain him with this stunt that went against the grain of the timeline Demetre saw.

And Zurn was evil personified, possessed by an evil Shinigami. Normally Shinigami never took sides, but obviously Prometheus did.

To an extent, the human race had fallen from God's good will, responsible themselves for creating the chaos within the Human Realm. Demetre knew this. God had given humans free will to do what they wanted. And it was not God's fault for Man's flaws.

Adam and Eve ate from the Tree of Knowledge and after that the Human Race truly begin according to the Bible. The genesis of the Human Race began with the birth their children. It was also the beginning of Humankind walking down a dark path a violence and destruction, greed and gluttony, war and pestilence, and death—hence the _Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse_ that forever plagued Mankind.

"Stop looking at it, sir," Demetre said to Soichiro Yagami firmly. "You're not getting the gun. It stays with me."

"Very well, Demetre," Light's father conceited. "It's difficult for me to say, but Light knows the mechanics of how a gun operates, but you know how to fire one. Light needs a lot of practice. He did get some lessons from a colleague of mine, a very staunch police officer named Zurn Wellington at the academy, but even then, Light needs a steadier hand."

Demetre and Dana shared a look.

Demetre looked at the numbers counting down slowly in the elevator. "I wouldn't put your trust in Zurn Wellington, sir," he said seriously. "After the experiences I've had with him, I can tell you, he's a ruthless bastard, a sadistic masochist, and a demon in human form."

"Pardon?" The look on Soichiro Yagami's face was shocking.

"Without getting into too many details…he kidnapped me, chained me up, and tortured me to within an inch of my life," Demetre began. He stopped there. But Dana urged him on. He sighed, he didn't want to expose the Society. But he trusted Dana. "He's a member of _the Savant Society_ , or was their most vicious enforcer. Just before we departed to come here, I received some information that he had been kicked out. And there's evidence that he hired Christian Troy, an assassin, to kill Light. That's why we're here—to stop him from murdering Light."

"He… _what?_ _Why?_ "

"His own reasons," Demetre said vaguely. "I'm a member of the Savant Society with Dana. The details of our enrolment will remain ours, but I want to assure you, Mr. Yagami, that the Savant Society is peaceful. Zurn is acting on his own and his actions are not sanctioned by the Society."

Soichiro Yagami nodded. "You have a lot of explaining to do, son. But I'll save the interrogation for later. But who is _Christian Troy_? Wait! Bryant Harvey is the one holding Light and Misa hostage right now. Are you saying you know his real name?"

"Do you mean that media chauvinist?" Dana asked. "He's the one holding Light and Misa hostage right now? But he's not a killer? Nothing in his profile demonstrates he's willing to take a life from what we know of him in media reports."

"If the incentive is high, even an angel can fall from grace," Demetre answered.

_I once considered Light an angel in human form. Childish to think, but he was so kind when we were kids. And he was always smiling_ _—so innocently, so angelically. He once protected me from a bully, putting himself in harms way. We both got beat up, but that was Light—always standing up for his friends, always standing up for the underdog. And then, when Dana left, I helped get him through his depression. I want to save Light here, but I want Kira gone! There's still a chance!_

_Light was once attacked by Jasper Yuta when he was thirteen in his own home when Yuta escaped from a mental hospital. Light had been kidnapped and held by Yuta's father (The Child Butcherer of Japan)—when he was ten years old—and would have been killed if the NPA didn't act quickly and find him. His father told me everything that happened. After that, Dana soon left him. Maybe a form of undiagnosed PTSD played an underline role in Light's mental development in using the Death Note against his better judgment? Harming people went against Light's moral code. But was everything he went through as a child incentive enough to kill those in a world that turned against everything that was good?_

_Was Light himself a victim of the Death Note's usage? He felt hurt_ _. Did using the Death Note make him feel better? They say, power corrupts absolutely._

He forgot about Light for the moment.

"Bryant Harvey was never an angel," Demetre then said. "The media has labelled him as an escape artist, escaping with millions of dollars and priceless jewels; no one has been able to apprehend him. It would be interesting to know where he stored everything he stole?"

"We suspect that Kira might be protecting him," Soichiro Yagami stated. "He seems unstoppable and Kira will not kill him, despite murdering dozens of other criminals as of late. But perhaps the reason why is Kira _does not_ know Bryant Harvey's real name? Kira needs a face and a name to kill, this is what we know in our investigation of Kira so far. They are like rules he must follow in order for his agenda to go forward. Criminals whose names that have been misspelled have not died. We believe that's the extent of Kira's power—other than manipulating a person before they die, his MO remains the same. Everyone who is influenced by _Kira_ dies!"

"Far from it," Demetre responded. _Not everyone dies after their name has been written in the Death Note. There are ways to stop Kira's judgements. I know of a few: my method of stopping the clock, and the Death Eraser—which erases the person from its judgement. A person can also have their memories altered, like Adam did to Naomi Misora_. "Kira is not infallible," he then added.

"Care to explain that, son?"

"No," Demetre said stolidly.

Soichiro Yagami adjusted his glasses. "Since you were young, you have always been like a member of our family, Demetre. But your lack of answers now is testing my patience." Demetre saw a look of disappointment from him. "And you know _me_ , I don't like to being kept waiting for long. I'm impatient when it comes to certain things. I'll give you a some latitude for the moment. But after all this is over—you, I, and L—we're all going to sit down and have a very long chat about everything. Do you understand me?"

"I appreciate the kindness your family has given to me over the years, sir. But not to be rude, please be patient a little while longer. I'll explain everything in detail later" _—What a bold face lie, I have no intention._ "To add, we suspect Zurn Wellington is responsible for a series of unexplained murders, harvesting organs for the black market to finance a personal agenda. We have an investigator on his case now."

"I've heard about that case," Soichiro said, nodding, and stunned that Zurn was involved. "And you're saying that Zurn is responsible? Whatever issues you've gotten yourself into with this cult, Demetre—be very careful. The last major cult caused the lives of countless people."

Demetre nodded. "Heaven's Gate," he said. " _The Savant Society_ was aware of them, I was told. It was before my time. But our Society as a whole is not one to act upon those who engage in, simply said, pure insanity. We have representatives spread throughout the world helping to make the world a better place. The Savant Society also has its enemies; they lurk in the shadows, and have, at times, struck without warning. But they're kept at a distance. However, we suspect that Zurn may have joined their ranks now" — _The League of Darkness_.

Soichiro mused, and made a grumbling noise under his breath. "Like I said, son, you have a lot of explaining to do when all this is over. And what are you—some secret agent for this _Savant Society_?"

Demetre laughed. _But in a way—yes!_ He was given permission by the Savant Society to undertake this mission to save Light when it was learned Zurn had sent out an assassin. This was his first mission.

_Zurn can't succeed here, or the timeline will cease to be—even though I know what happens, or I believe I do? Light must not be killed here. He must be exposed, or "Kira" will just become someone else!_

"Right now, I'm just here to save my friend," he said instead. However, the term _friend_ was said loosely.

Demetre felt Dana hold his hand below. She smiled at him. He smiled back.

_To be continued..._


	52. Friends No More

From the corner of his eye, Light noticed that the elevator had begun to move. It had gone all the way to the top floor, then the numbers showed its descent. He hoped his father had gotten off the elevator when Watari, hopefully, overrode the controls.

He noticed that the elevator stopped on the third floor and was now making its way back down to the lobby.

He had his hands behind his head now, Misa did as well. He thought when Bryant Harvey began shooting at the speaker system and at the CCTV cameras, it was best not to mess around with him anymore. He had no qualms about using his gun.

L's condescending voice drove Bryant Harvey up the wall. L attempted to basically bribe the criminal to release his hostages. But Bryant Harvey's previous inclination stated that if he turned against Kira he would be killed. So, despite the generous offer, Bryant Harvey refused.

The man was smart. Bryant Harvey knew when he was being played and he wasn't taking any of it.

Bryant Harvey gestured to the elevator with his gun. "There it goes again," he said. "Your father is persistent, Yagami. He probably went up to get armed. Stay in front of me, both of you! If your father starts shooting—Yagami, he'll kill _you_ first. No skin off my nose. I've already been paid."

Light knew that is father would not have gone up to retrieve a weapon. His father was an honourable man, and people in Japan who are not in law enforcement, or resigned from which, were no longer able to carry a weapon, and when is father quit the NPA to join the Kira Task Force, he handed in his weapon. In fact, no one on the task force carried a gun.

Light hesitated in moving as he watched the glowing red numbers countdown above the elevator.

"You'll shoot me in the back," Light said.

Bryant Harvey said nothing to alleviate Light's fear that this would happen. Shooting a person in the back was cowardly, but to a criminal anything was probable if the incentive was enough.

One minute before, Matsuda had arrived with the car at the front doors. He was obviously aware of the situation and was currently blockading the entrance, holding his shock wand. He looked in, but acted naturally, so not to draw attention from people walking by.

The elevator dinged and the doors opened, but it appeared empty.

Bryant Harvey pushed Misa forward. "Check it out," he ordered. "See if anyone is hiding or if anything is inside like an explosive device."

Misa staggered forward when she was pushed. She took a momentary glance back at Light, Light nodded to her to go, then she walked towards the elevator. She stepped cautiously inside and looked around.

"Misa! Get out of here! Now!" Light shouted, and the elevator doors began to automatically close. Watari was probably overriding them again to keep Misa inside.

" _Light! No!_ " she cried, and tried to keep the doors open, slipping her fingers between the doors as they closed, but she was unsuccessful, and became trapped—the elevator ascending once more.

Light turned and went for Bryant Harvey's gun.

There was a shot. Light froze.

Just then, Bryant Harvey put a hand to his chest and staggered backwards, gun in hand, but loosely held.

Light watched as blood began to saturate the criminal's stolen tan courier uniform at chest level.

Bryant Harvey looked at his hand covered in crimson with what Light observed as utter bewilderment and shock.

"No! This wasn't supposed to happen," Bryant Harvey said, cringing. "I was told I was safe, that I was protected!"

Bryant Harvey then collapsed to the floor on his rear, clutching his torso. He dropped the gun.

Light then turned his attention to the emergency staircase near the elevator. And looked upon his saviour with shock and surprise, a person he never thought he would see here, or holding a gun. And the face of the woman that once encapsulated his every waking thought. His father was with them both.

"Demmy? Dana? Dad?"

Demetre Draycott led the others. But for some odd reason, his friend did not look happy. He looked angry.

Light smiled, seeing Dana for the first time in five years since she left him. All the anger that he had felt, the sorrow her leaving caused him, and the guilt that maybe he had done something wrong to cause her to leave, vanished instantly.

"Oh my god, Dana..."

Light open his arms hoping for an embrace from her, but it never came and he didn't care that Misa was looking on. Dana was his first love and now she was back after all this time. But Dana remained at Demetre's side and his smile quickly faded.

"So it's true," he said disheartened. "You two _are_ a couple now. I didn't want to believe it when my mother told me she saw you, when you visited our house wanting to see me." He stood strong, stolidly. "It's good to see you again, Dana. How have you been?"

But she casted her eyes aside without a reply.

_I still love you, Dana, no matter what!_

He looked to Demetre and forced a smile. "Demmy, thank-you! I'm glad you're okay. I've been hearing some nasty rumours about you. That you joined some crazy cult. I hope they're not true?"

Suddenly, Demetre pointed the gun at Light.

Light gasped. "What the—"

Dana put a hand on Demmy's arm. "Demetre… _Stop it!_ Not here," she pleaded.

" _Demetre!_ " Light's father protested. "What in the world?"

Just then, they heard Bryant Harvey's voice as he lay on the floor with his hand to his chest. He was now laying on his back. Light looked at Demetre's gun, but then looked at Bryant Harvey.

"This is wrong," the villain said. Bryant Harvey's voice was low. He coughed, bringing up blood. "He said no harm would come to me if I did what he asked. The guy said that _Kira_ would protect me from harm."

The elevator dinged again and the doors opened. L, Mogi, and Misa, all emerged. L walked over to Bryant Harvey along, telling Mogi to keep Misa safe at a distance. The big man complied.

"Bryant Harvey you're under arrest," L said, when he reached Harvey. He used his right foot to slide the discarded gun out of reach. "Or shall I call you _Christian Troy_?" He turned to Demetre, Dana, and Soichiro Yagami. "I was listening to your conversation in the elevator. Once I got his name, I asked Watari to do a background check, and lo and behold both Christian Troy and Bryant Harvey are one-in-the-same."

Bryant Harvey laughed, then coughed, holding his chest. Light looked at the criminal, now a shadow of himself—what he was. The so-called untouchable villain the media portrayed him out to be. Yet, no longer! There was no reason for the laughter except if it came from a megalomaniac with nothing left to lose. Bryant Harvey knew he had been caught. But he didn't confirm or deny the revelation.

"Who hired you to kill me?" Light demanded.

"He lied to me," Bryant Harvey said, his voice getting lower, softer, as the end neared. "I'll see him in Hell…"

Then, all of sudden, Bryant Harvey clenched his chest, as if he was having a heart attack, and died.

Demetre came to stand next to Light, looked down. Then he gave a hard look to Light. Light could see the rancor in his friend's face, the sneer on his lips. Then it came, and Demetre delivered a hard back slap to Light's face with his free hand. Light reeled from it and fell back to the floor.

" _Demmy!_ " Dana shouted.

She immediately went to Light's aid, crouching down beside him. Light felt his face.

Demetre pointed the gun at him again, but pulled back when Dana put out her hand in front.

"Stop it! _Please!_ " she pleaded.

"I just committed the gravest of sins for you, Light. I hope you're happy?"

"Demetre Draycott, put the gun down right now!" L demanded. Mogi was approaching, but L held out a hand to hold him back. But if Mogi wanted to take Demetre down, Light knew, there would little to stop him. The man was fast, like a bull. L held out a hand for the gun. "I'll arrest you for assaulting a member on my task force! Give me the gun and I'll pretend I didn't see it."

"Don't do this, Demetre," Dana pleaded. She then turned to Light. "Light, we need to talk things out, someplace private; you, me and Demmy. Certain things need to be aired out between you. You may not understand things yet, but trust me, this is important."

Light felt his face as he looked at Dana. There was a sorrow in her eyes, a sadness that he didn't understand. He wanted to know why.

"I have nothing to say to him," Demmy voiced vehemently, raising the gun slightly so it was not pointed at Light and more so at the ceiling. "I saved him from this killer. God damn it, I even killed for him!"

"And why is that a bad thing, Demetre Draycott?" L questioned. "You just saved your best friend's life."

Demetre gave L a vindictive stare. "Don't get involved in this, Detective. This is between me and Light, no one else!"

"Stop it, Demmy!" Light said. "What's going on? Why are you angry with me? What have I done?"

Soichiro Yagami approached and put an arm on Demetre's shoulder. "Son, I'm not asking this time," he said. "Give me the gun. Then you go someplace and talk out your grievances with Light. But please, don't do anything you'll regret here. I implore you."

Demetre sneered with teeth showing, then handed over the gun. He acted like he was a man completely surrounded, Light observed, and yet he was the only one with a weapon. And Demetre knew how to use it like a pro if those annual sabbaticals they took together when they were kid was any indication, when it only took Demetre one-shot to kill game. Light knew his father taught his friend well has to shoot a weapon.

_Much better than me_ , Light admitted.

Light looked at his father. He apparently knew a lot more about what was going on than anyone else did.

"Ryuzaki," Soichiro then said, "let them go somewhere alone to talk. I still don't know everything that's going on between them, Demetre hasn't explain things to me fully, but he said that he would tell me after he has it out with Light first. I trust the boy not to do anything stupid."

"I think it may be too late for that," Demetre muttered under his breath. Light heard it.

L and Demetre eyed each other. Light still had no clue what was going on, but it almost looked like L was trying to figure Demetre out.

"Fine, I'll give you two the time you need to work things out." L sounded irked. "But I want no more interruptions with the Kira Case. There has already been too many incidents driving me away from my initial goal in catching Kira. The Third Kira is killing and I want to get on his trail. I want—whatever this is—settled fast! You can explain it to me later." The detective then reached into his back pocket and pulled out a flip phone, dialled, then said: "Watari, we're going to need a body bag for Bryant Harvey." Watari acknowledged. After the call ended, L said, "People are going to wonder what happened to Bryant Harvey. I have questions myself. And about this mysterious person who hired him…maybe you can fill me on some details, Demetre Draycott? And like how you got in the building without anyone knowing?"

"D.B. Cooper," was all Demetre said.

"Ah," L said, as if he understood. "The mysterious American who took a passenger's plane hostage in the 1971, robbed it, and then jumped out with a parachute, only to vanish without a trace somewhere along the plane's flight path in the United States. So, you intend to be that mysterious, huh?"

"I still don't understand the animosity you have towards Light," Soichiro Yagami said. "But there is no call for violence. This is not like you."

"People change, Mr. Yagami," Demetre said darkly. "Especially when a great wrong has been done."

"Then explain it to me!" Light demanded, getting to his feet. Dana helped him. He gave his friend a hard stare, looking directly into Demetre's eyes. He saw a fury and a hatred he had never seen in his friends demeanour before. It was like his friend had just put on a mask of complete and utter contempt for him. "Tell me what the hell is going on, Demmy, and why you're so angry with me?"

"Don't call me Demmy!" Demetre said harshly. "Only my friends call me that!"

_To be continued..._


	53. Zurn's Setback

The Ethereal-ghostly form of Prometheus coiled around Zurn Wellington as he stood on top of the building that overlooked the roof of the Kira Task Force Headquarters. His Shinigami had the ability to take on many forms, but Prometheus's most agreeable form was that of a snake.

Zurn Wellington looked into a miniature _Hole_ —a round black ball—a portable form of it that every Shinigami carried with them. It was a communication device, and a way to look into space and time, and into events past, present, and future.

The events that unfolded, his assassin killed, unnerved and angered Zurn. Christian Troy/Bryant Harvey would have died from the gunshot wound fired from Demetre Draycott's gun, but he was beginning to talk and he needed to be eliminated before he did. Zurn wrote the criminal's name in his Death Note just before he was able to say anything more, risking exposure.

_Of course I lied to him saying Kira would protect him. No one is safe from Kira._

Draycott's Death Note originally had Christian Troy's name in it, protected the same way his own self was, using a form of the _Infinity Rule_ —a Shinigami rule that protected its user from harm from the Death Note by using its own power against it. But Zurn had used a Death Eraser to erase the criminal's name and left Troy unprotected again, so he could used by himself—until now.

How Draycott originally got the villain's name was still a mystery. The teen was clever, too clever for his own good, Zurn concluded.

He had seen everything transpire _live_ within this portable version of the looking glass and watched as the so-called sanctimonious, religious newcomer to the Savant Society, who prided himself in following his God's law and ways, shoot the mainstream media's greatest story grabber.

Now he had the same gun pointed at Light Yagami.

_It's said, the first kill is the most difficult. But it gets easier after that._

Zurn laughed at the irony. Draycott had only made one kill with his Death Note and it was to protect himself when he was attacked in an alley by a thief when he first obtained it. Since then, he had not used it. But murder is still murder, no matter how its done.

Demetre Draycott killed Bryant Harvey. To Draycott, by virtue of his own religion—to kill another human being was a sin. But he killed another to protect his friend from being killed, even though Light Yagami had murdered _with-intent_ hundreds of people with a Death Note. When Draycott finally met his maker, what would his God say? Would he be forgiven?

Killing with the Death Note gave its user a one way ticket to purgatory. A person was unable to go to Heaven or Hell. To kill even if it was to protect another person was just meant it was another way to get there. No matter what, Demetre Draycott was going to a purgatory of his own making. And even though Draycott couldn't die by the Death Note, it didn't mean _he_ wasn't protected by other means.

Zurn thought about using the Death Note to kill Light Yagami by his own method like he had done with so many others—this way Draycott would never get the revenge he sought for for his grandfather's death. He knew Draycott wanted it, being against his religion or not. _But what fun would that be? Kira deserves a renown death._ Kira's death needed something more, Zurn knew, and not just some random heart attack.

Originally, he thought about watching and waiting until Draycott merely imploded. He could see how angry the kid was by the events he had become involved with. And his hatred would boil over when finally confronting Light Yagami. A showcase of epic proportions. The simple world Demetre knew had shattered the moment he picked up a Death Note and joined the Savant Society.

But after watching Draycott hand over the gun to former Chief of the NPA Soichiro Yagami, something else had to be done. And with his assassin failing, he needed another way for these events to conclude.

Prometheus had shown him the future and it was a dark one for the world.

Kira ruled over the masses with fear. People thought twice of doing anything against Kira's will, ever watching over their shoulder, or be killed. Zurn didn't like that world. And he wanted to eliminate Yagami in his infancy. Hiring Bryant Harvey to kill him was his best bet.

It didn't take much to manipulate _Christian Troy_. It was actually Prometheus's idea. Much like Geist, Draycott's Shinigami, Prometheus was a rebel, a rogue of his own design. Initially, Prometheus was assigned to Zurn when he became a member of t _he Savant Society_ , introduced to it by a friend. All members were assigned Shinigami as part of a cohabiting relationship within. But even Shinigami got bored with the mundane.

And so did Zurn.

Bryant Harvey was contacted and then threatened by Kira. He was told to meet an associate at a designated place where he would be paid handsomely for a hired hit job. Bryant Harvey said he was not a killer, but after he saw the money offered he soon changed his ways.

Unfortunately things had failed to go as planned and an unknown factor had interfered.

Zurn had underestimated Draycott. The kid was a pest. He still did not know how Demetre managed to learn his plans, but he knew Draycott needed to be taught a lesson.

Zurn's hair whipped around in a ferocious wind. A storm was brewing and it was near. He contemplated his next move.

"The plan failed, Zurn," Prometheus hissed like a serpent. "Light Yagami will fulfill his destiny. The _others_ will not be pleased with you."

"Quiet!" Zurn ordered tersely.

"You were told you eliminate him," Prometheus went on, "because Yagami is a rogue and is unpredictable. There is no rule how a Death Note should be used, but as Kira crafts his new world the timeline will be altered. Draycott was never in the original _Kira Incident_. Some events that were once a part of the original _Kira Incident_ that I observed are no longer and the Universe is realigning. Small changes create large problems. Geist and Draycott are a problem for _the League of Darkness_. Answers will be demanded from you of why you failed."

"I said be quiet! I'm thinking."

"Try not to _think_ too long, or you will lose the opportunity to make things right. The time has passed to eliminate Light Yagami/Kira. He must be leashed now! Perhaps offers a position within _the League of Darkness_? This way will he be subdued."

Zurn turned to Prometheus as the Shinigami's head turned to face him, a serpentine tongue ejecting from its mouth. Its reptilian eyes bore into his skull as if trying to read his thoughts like—

Then it struck him: Adam Rothschild. The boy had the _empathic_ ability to read a person's thoughts, or rather their emotions. For one split moment, the boy had penetrated his mind back at the Savant Mansion. Had he managed to get the information about _Christian Troy_ to give to Demetre Draycott? Draycott must have realized the moment he heard the name what the implications were? Adam was Draycott's ally.

_Yes,_ he realized, _it makes sense now._

That was when the tables had turned and his plan to kill Light Yagami had gone awry. The boy had managed to pry information from his mind about the assassination.

He chided himself for his moment of weakness. He had gotten word from the High Council of _the Savant Society_ that he was no longer welcome amongst their ranks now, no longer their enforcer. Naomi Misora had informed them of his extracurricular activities in trying to finance an agenda by adopting a Jack the Ripper Approach do take organs from unsuspecting vagabonds and sell them on the black market. His buyers paid him a fortune and Prometheus suckled every victims' remaining lifespan dry adding to his own.

He had to watch his back for now on when it came to Naomi Misora.

She did not know her real self—and ex-cop from the United States who had planned to marry her fiancée before he was murdered by Kira.

The events of that had been taken from her mind by Adam Rothschild to eliminate the effects of the Death Note imposed upon her by Light Yagami/Kira. One way to prevent its influence on a person was to erase their memories, the _Universal Contract_ that the Death Note implores every time a name is written down in its pages would then be voided. She would have killed herself otherwise subjected to the Death Note if she hadn't been kidnapped on her way to commit suicide by a Savant Society member who just happened to be in the area where after seeing the interaction between her and Light Yagami.

She was a formidable foe and strong-willed woman even without her full identity. All she remembered was her name. But she still had "memory muscle" and instincts, which helped find him and discover what he had been doing secretly.

She escaped him before he could stop her and she told the Society's Council of his actions.

"So, what will you do now?" the Shinigami asked, as it slithered around his body like a snake.

The feeling Prometheus gave him as the Shinigami moved around his body created an almost sexual stir and he enjoyed the sensation it brought.

Its namesake, Prometheus, was a Titan God from Greek mythology—a trickster god who stole fire from the gods to give it to Humanity, and was forever punished for it. Zurn's Shinigami was punished in a similar way, its Ethereal form not original. Prometheus's body was taken away by the Shinigami King for a grave transgression and the cohabitation through _the Savant Society_ was a form of redemption.

Prometheus still kept his Death Note.

But Prometheus had no intention of apologizing for what he had done—whatever that was. He hadn't told Zurn and Zurn didn't care. And he continued his trickster ways when he found Zurn. Prometheus found that his powers were greatly enhanced in this form. And much like the trickster God of Roman mythology, Loki, Prometheus shared similar traits of polymorphic transformation into anything he desired.

Zurn thought of his next move. But he knew he could only make one decision to make things right.

"I believe it is time I taught Demetre Draycott a valuable lesson in civility," Zurn decided. "I warned him not to cross me, but he failed to take it to heart. A grave mistake. Draycott is a religious person and he believes in his God's divinity. In his mind, all things happen for a reason. That it is his God's will. Let's see how he feels when his god fails to protect the people he loves."

_To be continued..._


	54. Showdown: Demetre Versus Light

L didn't like the idea, but Soichiro Yagami insisted that both Light and Demetre settle their differences one-on-one and then come back and tell everyone what occurred even if it came to blows.

Demetre could tell the great detective L didn't like it. But he didn't care. He and Light had never had a fight, but he needed this settled _now_.

The fact that Soichiro Yagami even suggested such a thing probably raised a lot of red flags in L's mind.

_It would be a mistake to allow it_ , Demetre thought, as if reading L's thoughts. _But I can't have this looming over our heads, distracting us—distracting Light. Light would not be able to concentrate on the Kira Case, no one would, until this conflict is settled. So, I'll allow it._

Not like L had a choice in the matter anyhow. If he had to be a disrupter to get what he wanted, Demetre would cause delay after delay for the Kira Task Force until they caved. So, it was best for L to accept the situation quickly.

_But I have no intention of telling them anything!_

Light was obviously eager to know himself, having no clue why the animosity towards him. But he was about to find out.

The wind had settled down to a soft but steady blow on the roof of the Kira Task Force Headquarters, but it was still enough to provide a small chill in the air. There were no cameras or listening devices, so they could speak freely without reprisal.

Only Demetre and Dana could see the Shinigami that were standing on the roof. That was the way Demetre wanted it since Light had lost all his memories are the Death Note. Only those who had touched a Death Note could see and hear a god of death, it was a staple in the Shinigami rulebook. Unless a Shinigami specifically wanted to be seen and each god of death had the ability to allow it—but only to them, dwelling like an illusion within their conscious mind. But like most spirits, they preferred to remain masked within an astral plane.

Geist crossed the roof and stood behind Light Yagami, but he would not do anything without Demetre's say. Angel stood next to Dana.

The _Third Kira_ was active and killing under the banner of _Kira_. But the real killer who started it all was standing before Demetre, and if he could, he would stop Light's reign of terror here and now, once and for all, and prevent the oncoming future. Demetre had thought about it and maybe his insertion into the Kira Incident was for a purpose? That he was meant to stop Kira's reign of terror from eclipsing the world in the near future.

_God works in mysterious ways_ , he thought.

Light stood next to the damaged HVAC fan grate. He asked about it and the charred motorcycle near by, but Demetre didn't answer him.

A wicked storm was still approaching, Demetre could feel it in the air. This was merely the calm before the storm and he hoped it held off until they were finished. It was time to confront his friend for what he had done. A showdown, of sorts.

Light stood meters away from Demetre, he was purposely directed to stand away from the door hatch. Geist had fused it shut so no one interrupted them. Demetre was not going to allow Light to escape until they were finished.

Dana stood beside him. The two of them acting like some kind of barricade.

"Okay, Demmy, we're here on the roof, and alone," Light said, folding his arms across his chest. Light looked annoyed. But Demetre didn't think his friend had the right to be. "Time to tell me what the hell is going on with you? And where have you been all this time, Dana? Why did you leave me? It's been five years since you disappeared and not once have you tried to get in contact with me. I'm filled with so many conflicted emotions right now. I'm relieved you're okay, but I'm also disappointed and hurt that you didn't bother to tell me you back and together."

"You're _disappointed_?" Demetre said disbelief and angrily. "You're _hurt_?" he said with equal incredulity.

A small rumbling filtered through the clouds as if to share his emotions.

Dana placed a hand on Demetre's lower back as if to ease his tension. She shook her head, non-verbally telling him not to lash out in anger. He knew he had to talk about his feelings and being hostile wasn't the way. Demetre quickly calmed himself and took a deep breath. He clenched a fist at his right side and dug his nails into his palm. Physical pain helped him to control the mental anguish.

"It's a bit complicated, Light," she then said, turning to Light.

Her hand came from his back and went down to Demetre's hand. Demetre felt her grasp his clenching tight fist. Her touch gave him a solace in his heart that wasn't matched anywhere. When he was with her, he felt a sense of ease that only someone who shared his heart could return.

Demetre released his fist and held her hand, attempting to gain strength and support from her touch. She was his world now.

He gave her a nod, he was calmer now.

He knew it didn't escape Light's notice. His friend's face seemed to darken seeing them together. Like a sense of betrayal.

Demetre knew that Dana had been Light's _love_ in middle school, but even then Demetre liked Dana from afar. He couldn't help it. She had an inner beauty than matched her outer. But since Light and Dana were together, he couldn't say anything. And he didn't want to ruin a good friendship by allowing Dana to get between them. So, he kept his mouth shut, and his heart suffered in silence. But no more.

He sighed. "Light, we've been friends for as long as I can remember, but a true friend would never do what you did," he said, as calm as he could say it. "Friends don't hurt friends. That might sound cliche, but it's true."

Light extended his arms wide in a gesture of complete oblivion. "Demmy, what the heck are you talking about? What did I do to you that hurt you so much? I don't understand! Tell me, please! I beg you. I don't want to lose you as a friend. You and Dana are now a couple, fine, I can accept that—but this doesn't have to get between our friendship. For heaven's sake, you were there in my most darkest hour when Dana left."

_Darkest hour, my ass! If you only knew what you would become…_

"You're my best friend in the world, Demmy," Light continued, his arms still out-stretched, "and you're like a brother to me. I thought we could tell each other anything? I thought _I_ did something wrong?" Light looked at Dana. "During the last five years, when I didn't know where you were, Dana, I tried to move on. But you'll always be my first love and you will always have a place in my heart. Dana, I still care for you."

"Oh, Light…" Dana said with tearful eyes.

Demetre stood in disbelief that she was actually falling for his words. _Light is a lair and a manipulator, that's who Kira is._ Then he stopped. Recanted himself. _Yes, that was who Kira is, but not Light_ —he sensed no deception in his friend right now. But was this the real Light, or just the one masked behind a veil of amnesia because he had lost all memory of the Death Note, and what Light had done?

_Which is the real you, Light?_

Demetre mentally sighed frustrated.

"I'm so sorry I hurt you," Dana then said, "but I had no choice. It was beyond my control. There were forces at play that kept us apart. Unfortunately I can't tell you about them…" She looked at Demetre and Demetre shook his head. Despite her okay for him to tell Light's father about the Savant Society, he didn't want Light to know. She looked back at Light. "Demetre and I are together now. And we love each other. I missed you, Light, but things have changed, and I…"

"You don't love me," Light finished sombrely. Then he nodded. "I understand. I was trying to figure it out if I did something wrong. But now I realize it wasn't me, it was you!"

Light folded his arms across his chest again, his body standoffish. Light was now mad, and he looked at Demetre with animosity, as if Demetre had betrayed him. But this was not Kira who was angry, this was Light Yagami.

_No, you don't have a right to feel angry at me, Light!_

"So, tell me," Light said, his voice upset. "Why are you angry with me? Come out with it, Demetre? And don't think it's guilt for taking Dana away from me? We're not leaving here until I can answers. You've already put a knife to my back and crushed my heart, so you might as well finish me off, right? Tell me what the hell I did to _you_? And don't filter it with any of your religious, sanctimonious crap! Just tell me!"

Light was pissed off. Attacking one's faith was one way to get back at someone. But Demetre didn't take the bait.

Light didn't necessary believe in a god, but he wasn't a full-blown Atheist. He always respected Demetre's faith and what it represented. But Light once told him, having blind faith in an unseen entity/deity was irrational. Light was an analytical thinker and believed more in Evolution then Creationism. Light attended church with Demetre's family from time to time, but Demetre knew it was just to see what all the "fuss" was about. His faith had wavered tremendously since he was younger, Light was more cynical now. And when Light began to engross himself in his studies, he stopped going all together.

Now he was showing his true colours and Demetre understood how much antipathy Light had in this heart to use a Death Note—to wipe evil from the Human World. It was almost to help Light deal with his own personal issues. Like a child lashing out upon the world for all the wrongs and all the hurt he had suffered.

But Light was privileged, and he was smart. And he could have used that intelligence to help the world instead of hurting so many. If only he had not picked up the Death Note, Demetre knew his friend would have been okay.

And yet, Demetre felt selfish. With Light's pain, came his own salvation in finding Dana. A void that had been filled in his heart that he felt was empty for years. He wondered where Dana had gone, too, and he had searched, but had found nothing— _the Savant Society_ hiding her.

If anyone had found a way to disappear without a trace, Dana had. When he had asked Dana how she managed to stay away for five years, she told him it tore her up inside to do so, and everyday she wanted to reach out and tell both why. But she wasn't allowed.

_No, I can't talk to you like this_ , Demetre thought. _I need your memories fully restored._

He unclasped Dana's hand and reached into his shoulder bag, bringing out the Death Note.

Dana clutched his arm, shook her head when she saw him bring it out into the open. "Demetre, what are you doing?"

"I would rather Light stay ignorant for the rest of his life than do this," he said to her, "but I can't talk to him the way he is now. In order for us to clear the air completely, I need to bring everything out into the open."

"But we don't know his mental state when he was under its influence," she said. "The future Geist showed us gave us glimpses of his actions, but not the whole story. At least in this state, he can be reasoned with. With the Death Note's power, we don't know what he'll do. He might even try to kill you!"

Demetre gave a look to Light, they were speaking low enough that Light couldn't hear them over the wind. He understood her trepidation.

When he first learned that Light/Kira had killed his grandfather, Demetre was in possession of a Death Note. He had only recently found it, and proved its validity—that it was the same power Kira had. When a mugger tried to kill him, he used it, and gave the man a heart attack by writing his name on one of its pages. He was angry, and wanted to kill Light for what he had done.

He wasn't sure how to write Light's full name in Japanese kanji, and since his friend's name in Japanese had conflicting meanings— _Bright_ , or _Moon_ , and even _God_ —he wrote his friend's name in English, so there would be no mistake. The only letters that were missing to complete the note were g and i. But he had stopped himself before he did something he knew he would regret.

_I was angry, and to kill in malice is to invite God's wrath!_

He had other options. He had cloned Light's phone just before learning the truth about him, because he wanted to find out any information about Kira knowing Light's father was not he Kira Task Force. Like any good detective, information gathering was essential. So, one day he could confront Kira, and ask him why he murdered an innocent man. Hence, he fell back on that. However, he never got to use it.

_The Savant Society—_ Zurn Wellington—had kidnapped him, watching him, like they watched everyone with a Death Note.

_And now, here I am. That was my goal. But this is not Kira, this is Light. I need to speak to "Kira" directly._

Demetre touched her arm and gently pushed it away, he knew the dangers it wrought.

"It has to be done, Dana," he said, a slight reluctance in his voice. "I need to speak with him as his true self, to get the whole truth. The way he is now, I'll never get my answer. His memories were suppressed when he relinquished the Death Note."

"Are you absolutely sure about this?" she asked worried.

Demetre looked at her, saw her concern, and shared it. Even he had doubts.

_To be continued..._


	55. Pandora's Box

All the good memories he and Light shared over the years came back to him in a flash. It was like he had touched some sort of "Life Note", as they flooded his thoughts—much like the theory of his life passing before his eyes.

His life had been shattered when his grandfather had died. And his best friend had murdered him. He needed to know why.

_Is it simply for Kira's grand agenda of complete order over the world?_

His grandfather died of a massive heart attack after being falsely accused of embezzlement. Only after he died, had the real thief confessed. Kira killed him, too! But it had been too late for his grandfather.

The person who murdered him stood meters away. It was time to get justice and in order to get it he needed to know the complete truth!

_Am I absolutely sure I want to do this? No! But Pandora's Box must be opened one more time!_

"Geist!" Demetre said loudly, raising his voice to get the attention of the Shinigami. Geist stood behind Light. _It's now time to bring everything to a head._ "Hold him!"

The Shinigami grabbed Light's arms and held him in place. Light struggled against an invisible force.

Demetre took the Death Note and ripped out a page giving the book to Dana to hold. He then went to Light, who continued to squirm against something otherworldly that held him at bay. Standing in front of his friend, he crumpled up the page of the Death Note in his hand until it was a tight ball. He squeezed it tighter than anything he had ever held, his nails digging into the paper, and his skin, blood possibly filtering onto it.

"Demetre, what's going on? What's holding me here?" Light looked frightened. "Help me!"

Demetre had no sympathy and stared coolly at Light. He could see a fright in Light's eyes, a fear of the unknown, and at this moment, _Kira_ —the first, the one that started it all—was at the mercy of someone _else_!

"Believe me, Light, what I do is against my better judgment, and frankly, I don't know what will happen," he said. "That being said, I need you as you as _were_ , not as you _are_ now. I need you to remember _everything_!"

"What do you mean?" Light asked panic-stricken, struggling something he could not see. "What you mean as I _was_?"

With Light unable to resist him, Demetre then clutched Light's hair. He held it tight, even pulled it, hurting his friend. Light winced. With his other hand, he stuffed the crumpled page of the Death Note into Light's mouth, shutting Light's mouth firmly. He knew the instant the page of the Death Note touched Light that his memories would flood back to him much like his own life flashing before his eyes.

Geist took a grip off Light's left arm and reached around, slapping his hand across Light's mouth to keep the page of the Death Note inside for the Death Note take effect. The last thing Demetre wanted was for Light to spit out the page and lose his memories again. He didn't want to do this again. Surprise was the best way to victory. It seemed to be working.

Demetre stepped back. "Let him go, Geist," he ordered.

The Shinigami released Light and Light dropped to his knees. Light's back arched back abnormally and his head raised to the sky. His eyes fluttered and his mouth was opened, but the page of the Death Note was still inside.

Light let out a muffled scream. Then Light collapsed forward and folded into himself. He clutched his head as if it was going to explode, as if the pain was too much for him to bare.

Demetre didn't know what Light was remembering of his time with the Death Note, the future Geist showed him was only a fraction of the _important events_ of Kira—other personal events Light experienced with the notebook had been passed over. But he knew Light was in agony.

_As you should be_ , he thought.

"Time of your judgement, Light," Demetre said prolifically. "Repent your sins or burn in Hell!"

Then he happened…

It began as a muffled chuckle, and then the laughter became more grandiose.

Light Yagami reached into his mouth with his left hand and took out the crumpled page of the Death Note. He held it. Slowly raising his head, his hands to his face, he parted them like he was unmasking in a Japanese Kabuki play.

He looked at Demetre, and Demetre thought he saw the face of the demon as Light smiled at him with a mischievous, bombastic grin.

"Presumptuous and stupid," Light said deftly, as Light got to his feet, gripping the page of the Death Note tightly.

Light then gazed up at the wicked sky and seemed to take a deep breath. He let it out slowly, his eyes closing momentarily. It almost appeared like he was breathing in new life. He then looked back at Demetre and smiled again.

"Tsk, tsk, my dear friend Demetre," Light said. "For it is not time for Kira to awaken just yet." Light shut his eyes again and put his free hand to his face, his fingers spread open across his face like bars of a jail cell. He lowered his hand down his face, symbolically, like being set free.

He opened his eyes again and they seemed to glower red by some unnatural affluence.

"You have brought me back to soon, there's still so much work to do behind the scenes," Light said, holding up his hand with the page of the Death Note in a closed fist now. Light looked at his hand in godly fashion. "L still thinks I'm Kira. He must be eliminated before I can impose my _Grand Agenda_ upon the world with the Death Note. Any one who opposes me, will _die_!"

Light turned and saw Geist behind him. He seemed amused by the Shinigami's appearance. Anyone else would be terrified. But Light had seen Shinigami before and was unafraid. Although, Geist did appear more daunting then most with his sunken eyes and skeletal features. And yet, he dressed like a Rock'n'Roll groupie with outlandish hair and preternatural attire which almost make him comical.

Light turned back, thumbed at Geist. "How amusing," he said, "and at least he looks more formidable than Ryuk, or even that pansy Rem."

"Raise that thumb to me again, human, and I'll bite it off," Geist threatened savagely, getting close enough to breath on Light.

Light lowered his hand.

"You bastard! Is _this_ the _real_ you?"

Demetre clenched his fists at his side. It took all his strength not to lunge at his friend.

He had learned something valuable during his time at the Savant Mansion. Some people were more susceptible to the Death Note's influence and reacted to things with more sensitivity. Some said, that's how _the League of Darkness_ started; they got more in touch with their true feelings. So, had the Death Note enhanced Light Yagami's true feelings towards the world?

He took a momentary glance at the sky and saw the oncoming raging storm. Something "evil" was coming, he could feel it. Light/Kira was only the precursor.

He looked at the face of the person the world unknowingly came to know as Kira and the face of his childhood friend. At one point, he shared Light's sentiment that they were brothers-in-arms, but now all he wanted to do was to strange him.

Reminded of the story _The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde_ , and how the author described through narrative about the complexities and the duplicity of human condition, Light was _Hyde_. Every person had another side to themselves and Demetre was now looking at the altar ego of Light Yagami influenced by the Death Note. And much like Hyde in the story, he knew Kira was unrepentant—claiming everything he did was for a great good of Humankind.

Kira would, if he could, sacrifice half the world for his own goals.

Light smiled. "Is _this_ the _real_ me? Honestly, Demetre—we all masks," he said opaquely, "and none of us are who we perceive to be. We all hide behind a well crafted persona perfected over years of practice. Is this the _real me_ , you ask? Hmm," —Light appeared to muse inwardly— "My mask has been removed," he then said. "Care to take off yours and show me the _real you_?"

Light baited him, wiggling a finger to strike.

Demetre took a step forward, but Dana held him back. She looked scared.

Light smiled at her. "Ah, Dana," he then spoke, eyeing her lustfully. "You're looking quite well after all these years. When last I saw you, you weren't so healthy and robust. You're very pleasing to the eyes."

Demetre clenched his teeth in anger, and at that moment knew this was not his friend but some demonic entity possessing Light. Light would never talk so forwardly. He had only been told about it by others in the Savant Society, how some people became drunk with the Death Note and its god-like power. Here, now, he saw it first hand. There was no saving Light now, not as he is now. He was too far gone.

_Dana was right, I should not have given Light back his memories._

He was reminded of the Biblical saying: _The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was to convince the world he didn't exist._ And with his friend hiding in plain sight amongst the detectives that wished to catch him, Light was that trickster hiding in plain sight.

Demetre felt a darkness inside his friend that frightened him. The hate that had manifested in his heart when it came to his grandfather's death at the hand of Kira failed in comparison to the demonic essence in his friend's eyes now.

"I have always enjoyed _good things_ and I was blessed to have _good people_ to rely on it," Light said, "but you've both shown that I can't put my trust in anyone but myself now. That everyone eventually will betray me!"

Lightning crackled across the sky illuminating the area.

Light looked at Dana. "When we were together, we had some good times…and I wanted to show you how much I loved you, but I was too afraid of pushing you away. And now, you have pushed me away!" Light looked at Demetre with glowering hatred-filled eyes, then pointed to him. "With _him_! And _he_ took _my_ place in _your_ heart!"

"Light…" Dana started.

"Enough!" Light stopped her. "Did you ever care about me at all?"

"Yes, I did," she said.

"Don't lie to me! And don't think I didn't notice the quick glances between you two when we were younger in middle school. You hid your affection poorly. You wounded me when you left, Dana; I was heartbroken. And now you stab me in the heart again!"

"Light…"

"Now I see you're with _him_! My _best friend_ —or shall I say my _ex-best friend_?"

"Don't you dare!" Demetre interjected. "You have no right to feel betrayed!"

"Shut up!" Light said. "If I had something to write with, I'd gladly write down your name on this page of the Death Note! You were stupid to give me the instrument of your destruction, Demetre. It was like putting a loaded gun to your own head and pulling the trigger."

_A loaded gun, yes, but filled with blanks,_ Demetre thought.

To be continued...


	56. The Kill That Started It All

_You can try, Light, but you can't kill me by writing my name in a Death Note…_

Light was unaware of Demetre's trick, writing his own name in his Death Note with an infinity loop. The time clock ran, but then stopped, and reset itself just before the forty-seconds was up. It prevented anyone in killing him with the Death Note, because only the first entry in a Death Note was valid. Any others were voided. He later learned it was some sort of 'Infinity Rule', but rarely used by Shinigami. It was devised by the Shinigami King to stop errors in judgment that could cause catastrophic mistakes. Demetre had designed his own a version of it.

Demetre shook his head in disbelief. "Light, what happened to you? You were always so philanthropic, so kind, so reverent towards others?"

"I didn't change, the world did," Light answered sagely, his arms extended outward in god-like fashion. "The world is a rotten place. I was given the power to heal it from humanity's poison. Once I realized the Death Note's potential, it became my avarice. And I began to use it to build a beautiful world, one where only hard working, good people live."

Light smirked, continued: "I was going to ask you both to join me, but not after this betrayal. You stole two of my most precious memories from me—my _best friend_ and _the love of my life_. Both of which now are spoiled like the world. If I ever wished that the Death Note could make be forget something, it would be you two. I'll kill you both for your treachery! Nobody screws with Kira!"

_I was right. Light is hurting inside. And he's using the Death Note in an attempt to heal his pain. He thinks of he can eliminate all evil in the world, then he can finally feel happy. And I just made things worse._

Demetre wished he had kept his gun. And yet, he feared he wouldn't hesitate to use it against Light. "You're insane!" he said.

Light chuckled, lowering his arms. "Name calling, how boorish," he said. "I thought you better than that, Demetre."

Demetre felt Dana's hands on his back and he knew she was frightened. He had to end this quickly, get what he wanted, and then leave. The Kira Task Force, and L, were waiting for this to be over and an explanation forthcoming for why. But he had no intention of telling them.

"Why did you kill my grandfather?" Demetre demanded finally. "He was a kind and gentle soul."

"Remind me," Light said. "I don't seem to recall his name."

Demetre told him.

Light seemed to think for a moment, his eyes closing. Then they flung open. "Ah yes, now I remember. The accused embezzler who turned out to be innocent. The police should have done a better job in investigating before showing his profile on television for _Kira_ to see. He was killed along with a purse snatcher, I believe, in a trick pulled on L using a mini-TV planted in a potato chip bag."

Demetre was not surprised Light would admit to killing his grandfather. In fact, there would be no reason not to admit to it. But then he blinked perplexed. "You… _what?_ What sane person would even do that? Why would you hide a mini-TV in a potato chip bag?"

Light opened his mouth to say something, then closed it. He seemed to think for a moment. "You know what, I don't really know," he said with a shrug. "I bought the potato chips, opened the bag, put the mini-TV inside, sealed it back up, and waited. It was before L planted cameras throughout my house. I had planned to use the mini-TV to keep up-to-date with the news when I was out of the house taking the chip bag out at some point, but then I forgot about it. It was a bit of risk, however. But since I'm the only one in my family that enjoys bland tasting potato chips, I figured no one would touch them. And I was right."  
"And how exactly did you use it?" Demetre was actually curious. "With L watching you on surveillance?"

"I pretended to study in my room. I wrote mathematical equations with my right hand and wrote down names in the open potato chip with my left. As you know, I'm ambidextrous. Did I mention I also had a piece of the Death Note taped to the inside of the bag?"

Demetre was both disgusted with the premeditation of the crime, but impressed with the brilliance of it to fool L.

Light then frowned. "But it in the end, it was all for naught," he said. "My mother was collecting garbage the next morning and I had thrown the empty bag with the mini-TV inside in my waste disposal bin in my room, so I couldn't take it out of the bag. It was an expensive trick. That mini-TV cost me four-hundred bucks!"

Demetre became enraged. "Was four-hundred bucks all my grandfather's life worth to you?"

"Kira mainly kills high-profile criminals," Light replied. "While your grandfather's death was a mistake, and a misdemeanour crime, it resulted in a lesson being delivered: there no crime too small that escapes Kira's judgment."

"You son-of-a-bitch!" Demetre cursed. "I thought you could be redeemed, but you can burn in Hell now, Light!"

Lightning coursed across the sky in an angry crackling display of raw power followed by a thunderous boom. Light laughed boisterously with amusement. It was as if the storm responded to a demonic aura and evil sensationalism. Demetre and Dana both cupped their ears from its loud sound. Even Geist took a few steps back from Light, looking at Light as if he had come from a dimension of pure malevolence.

"I can't stand it anymore," Angel said, the Shinigami's voice permeating with disgust. "His arrogance is beyond reproach! Let me kill Light Yagami! I'll take pleasure in writing his name down. I don't like him, so do so won't kill me!"

"No!" Dana cried.

"No? No, to what?" Light questioned. "No, you don't want me to go to Hell?"

Against Dana's order, Angel stomped over to Light Yagami and touched him with her Death Note, so he could see her. Then she took him by the throat and lifted him above the ground. Light grabbed onto her arm and sucked in air as Angel began to squeeze.

"No, writing your name in the Death Note is good for you, Light Yagami!" the Shinigami said. "Now that you can see me, you'll get to see who will finally end your reign of terror in the Human World. And you will never be able harm Demetre or Dana _ever_!"

"Angel, no!" Geist said, pleading. "If you kill him, it will be like killing for another human now. It won't matter if you use a Death Note!"

"What?" Demetre questioned.

"We Shinigami serve a purpose: to take lives," Geist said. "We're not born to protect them. This is why we have Death Notes. Just like murder in the Human World, a kill is a kill. If you take another person's life, no matter the circumstance…you are still a killer. Even if you murder for the sake of protecting others. If Angel kills Light Yagami here, she will cease to be like Gelus did when he killed Misa Amane's stalker. This is why we did nothing about Bryant Harvey in the main lobby of this building. We watched things until you arrived, Demmy. We Shinigami mainly observe. It's our handlers who take responsibility in using the Death Note and their own actions. If we interfere to protect another even without a Death Note and it causes a life…"

"Angel, _stop it_! Don't kill Light!" Dana shouted. "Or you'll die and turn to dust!"

Angel continued to choke Light Yagami for a few additional moments, but then dropped him. She stepped back, as Light fell like a stone to his knees. He grabbed his throat, gasping in oxygen.

"If it wasn't for 'the rules', Light Yagami, you would be dead!" Angel declared.

"Angel…" Dana began. "Thank you."

All of sudden, Light began to laugh maniacally in between coughs. Angel took a couple of steps back in bewilderment.

"My life spared by an _Angel,_ I'm truly blessed," Light said, with a sense of mental derangement. He continued to clench the page of the Death Note in his right hand as if his life depended on it. "The world is wrong, Demetre, and _Kira_ is here to make it right!" He got to his feet, rubbing his throat. "You could have easily have let Bryant Harvey kill me and then all your problems would have disappeared. You already knew I killed your grandfather, so all this is merely drama. If you didn't show up at the perfect moment, I would be dead. Let that factor sink in, Demetre. I wish to thank you for your contribution to my continued well-being. You've always been a 'good' friend."

Geist reached behind his back and took out his Bone Club from its holster.

"Please let me smash his head in, Demmy," Geist begged, holding his weapon up in the air ready to being it down. "He deserves it! I don't like him. And I would _not_ be doing it for _you_ , I'll be doing it for myself!"

Light turned. "Try it and you'll die," he said, smirking devilishly. "Your speech to Angel was very telling. I like Demetre, its obvious."

"Geist, he's right," Demetre agreed. "Besides, I already got my answer."

Light chuckled, turning back. "Play time is over children, my brand new world is at hand," he said godly, "and you've already taken up too much of my time. Shakespeare once said, _All the world is a stage, and we are merely players._ I believe that. I relinquished the Death Note to lose my memories on purpose, so I could convince L that I am not Kira. A brilliant plan and it's working. Someone else currently has the power and I will find him with my own methods. I already have clues to lead me to him, who he is hidden even from me to protect me. I was once told to 'follow the money' by someone else, and I believe I have a pretty good idea where this imposter may be hiding. I'll find him and take the Death Note back! Then I'll kill L and crush anyone else who stands in my way. Maybe, I'll even eliminate the entire Kira Task Force. As the saying goes: _Kill them all, and let God sort them out!_ But with the power of the Death Note, I'll be the one doing the sorting."

And Light laughed.

_To be continued..._


	57. Coldblooded Revenge

Demetre couldn't believe what he had just heard. "You _bastard!_ Your _father_ is on the Kira Task Force!" he said.

Light shrugged. "Sacrifices must be made for the enrichment of a new world order," he said.

Demetre ran at Light and grabbed him. He balled his fists in Light's shirt, holding him face-to-face gritting his teeth in utter disgust and anger. "Your father is a good man! You're the evil one! I swear, I'll kill you! I'll even use the Death Note! I'd gladly sacrifice my soul if it means ridding the world of a devil like you!"

Light grinned benevolently. "Try it, and see what happens to you. Since it is only the three of us up here, not counting the Shinigami, you'll have to explain my death to the others. L will then have you arrested on suspicion of _being_ Kira. He'll lock you away for the rest of your natural life or even execute you secretly. However, this other Kira, will continue in my footsteps and wreak untold havoc upon the world in my stead—unleashed, unfettered, and undisciplined. He won't stop in killing criminals and use it to become a god amongst men. My goal is not to rule over my peers, but to create a world where crime is a thing of the past. And it can be done. Join me, Demetre, and together we can build a utopia of peace. We can be allies and oversee the world with the Death Note."

"Birds of a feather flock together, right?" Demetre said through clenched teeth. "Because I have a Death Note?"

"Exactly," Light said smiling. "So, what say you? Friend or fowl?"

Demetre sneered. "I'm nothing like you!"

He kneed Light in the groin. Light's eyes bulged and his mouth went agape.

Demetre released him. Light collapsed to his knees and cupped his crotch. Demetre balled a fist and was about to hit him across the side of the head, when Dana stopped him. She grabbed his fist in both her hands.

She shook her head. "Demetre, no more," she said. "Light's lost and he knows it. We can take back the page of the Death Note you gave him and he'll forever loose his memories of it. Then we'll find this other Kira and prevent Light from ever obtaining the Death Note again. I'm glad we finally got to clear the air about everything. But after this, I'll never want to see _him_ again."

Light cupped his crotch and chuckled under his breath. "You made your bed, Dana. And I bet you even slept with Demetre in it. As far as we are concerned, you left me. I got over you, moved on, and found new people to interest my fancy. So leave, be with Demetre, and have babies for all I care. You and Demetre are hypocrites and were made for each other."

Dana released Demetre's fist, then clocked Light herself across in the side of the head with a fist. Light dropped.

"That'll girl," Demetre smiled. "We came and did what we needed to do. Kira has been defeated. I'll take back the page of the Death Note and wipe Light's memories of it forever. He'll live oblivious of whatever fate that will befall him. And since he won't be able to entertain Ryuk anymore, Ryuk will probably take the rest of his remaining lifespan without reprisal and return where whence he came. And since Light will be gone, the _Third Kir_ a will be redundant and will be killed by Rem."

Dana half-smiled. She then kicked Light in the butt for good measure, Light recoiled. "All ends that ends well," she said.

Geist chuckled. "The mighty Kira, brought down to his knees by a woman."

"A very strong woman," Demetre added, smiling at Dana. She smiled back.

"I'll prepare to bring up the spacial gateway so we can leave," Geist then said. Demetre agreed.

"Some parting words for you, Light," Dana began to say, looking down at him. "And I know you'll understand the inferential metaphor since you think you know everything. _Sweet, so would I. Yet I should kill thee with much cherishing. Good night, good night! Parting is such sweet sorrow._ "

Then she gave him another swift kick in the rear.

Light recoiled from the hit, clenching his teeth from the hurt from it, his head, and groin.

Demetre smiled. "Romeo and Juliet, Act II, Scene II," he recalled. "A fitting epitaph if I say so myself."

They smiled, and kissed.

After the kiss broke, Demetre then reached down to take the crumbled page of the Death Note from Light's hand. Light was holding it loosely as he held his head after the punch Dana gave him, so it would easy to retrieve.

Suddenly, a spacial gateway opened up in front of them, not created by Geist, and Zurn Wellington jumped out.

He grabbed Dana's arm and held a gun to the side of her neck. Prometheus's snake-like ethereal form was coiled around his body, the Shinigami obviously the one that opened up the aperture for Zurn's surprise jump. All Shinigami had the ability to conjure up spacial gateways to travel to any realm or place they choose. It was how Demetre and Dana got here all the way from Mount Fuji and the Savant Mansion.

Dana dropped the Death Note when Zurn grabbed her.

"Dana!" he cried out

"Hello, Demetre Draycott," Zurn said with a sinister smile. The ex-enforcer of the Savant Society stood in front of the open gateway, the fissure behind him crackling with raw, uninhabited energy. His brown hair whipped around frantically. "I warned you not to cross me, but you failed to heed my words. You killed my assassin. Light Yagami should have died. _The League of Darkness_ initially wanted to control him, leash him—he was a rogue. But then it was thought best to just eliminate him all together to avoid any surprises in the future. You stopped it."

"Let her go!" Demetre demanded. "If you harm her, I swear I'll kill you!"

Zurn laughed. "I may not be a member of the Savant Society any longer, but that doesn't mean I still can't enforce _the rules_ ," Zurn said smirking, looking at Dana. "You've been a thorn in my side, Draycott. You've defied me at every turn. Time to pay the piper!"

And with that, Zurn quickly brought the gun down and shot Dana in the back. Blood spattered out her chest. Her eyes went wide, mouth agape, as Zurn dropped her.

" _DANA!_ " Demetre screamed.

"So long! But I know we'll meet again someday. How else are you going to get your revenge?" Zurn laughed. "I'll be waiting, Demetre Draycott. Come find me…"

With that, Zurn escaped back into the open portal. It shut quickly behind him.

_To be continued..._


	58. Contrition

The moment the spacial aperture vanished, Demetre raced to Dana. He dropped to his knees and cradled her in his arms. He tried to stop the bleeding from her chest, but there was just so much. He knew it was bad, even fatal. But he had to reassure her. Zurn has shot her in the back. But if she did survive the gunshot wound, she would be paralyzed from the waste down. Her legs were completely limp.

"Dana, it'll be okay," he lied.

Dana clutched his hand tightly. "Demmy, please," she said. "Don't be angry with Light."

Demetre looked at her bewildered.

"He's been poisoned by the Death Note," she continued. "But I still know he's a good person at heart. Without the Death Note, he would never have been Kira."  
Her eyes fluttered.

Demetre held her tighter. "Dana, stay strong…stay with me," he said, but he didn't know how long she had left. He held back tears.

"Bring Light over, please," she then asked, cringing from the pain.

"Why? He's a murdering psychopath."

"For me, please…"

Demetre looked up at Angel, who was now standing over her. Then he looked over at Light sprawled out in pain on the roof a few meters away. Light was gripping the page of the Death Note tighter now, his strength returning.

Geist picked up Demetre's Death Note for safe keeping that Dana had dropped when Zurn grabbed her, Demetre observed.

"Stay with her, Angel," he said, and the angelic Shinigami nodded.

Demetre laid Dana down gently, then went over and grabbed Light harshly by the neck collar, and dragged him over. Light squirmed, but Demetre would not let him go. Light was dropped next to Dana, he looked shocked. Obviously he wasn't fully aware of what had happened when Zurn came through the portal.

Light cringed momentarily from his own injuries. "What happened?"

"Zurn Wellington came through a Shinigami spacial gateway and shot Dana in the back just after our conflict," Demetre answered. "He is or was a member of _the Savant Society_. He accused me of ruining his plans to kill you using Bryant Harvey as a scapegoat. Zurn ordered the hit."

"That bastard! He helped me out at the police firing range when I was having trouble with my aim. I had a strange feeling about him. He must have known I was Kira. He obviously wanted to eliminate me using Bryant Harvey seeing me as a threat. I'll kill him for this!"

"Light, Demetre," Dana spoke, they both looked at her. Light was already on the ground, Demetre knelt beside her. "You both know about the other and you both have reasons to hate the other. But don't let that hatred control you and ruin the friendship you have."

Demetre looked at Light. He hated Light with a passion for what he did and what he had become. It was said that forgiveness was divine, but he was no deity and he would never be one. _I will never be friends with someone who murders people so senselessly_ , he thought

"Why did you come here, Dana?" Light asked. "Demmy could've take care of all this on his own. Your presence here was unnecessary."

Dana was silent for a moment, as if to think, then said, "Because I wanted to be with the people I love most. I wanted to see you again, Light, and to explain why I left so unexpectedly. Call it unfinished business, and it was necessary to come here, because I felt guilty in leaving you without saying a word." She coughed. "I know how much I hurt you and I'm sorry."

"No," Light said, shaking his head. "It wasn't your fault. It's clear now and how you two found each other. I know Demetre joined the Savant Society; I learned of it thanks to L. If your father was involved with this cult, then that would explain why you couldn't contact me and why you left without a trace. But I'm glad I can see you again." He smiled. "I missed you, and despite my hurtful words earlier…I still _love_ you."

Dana smiled. She raised a hand and extended it to Light, taking his hand and squeezing it, showing affection.

Demetre saw this and accepted it. He knew that she still had some feelings for Light.

Light turned to him. "Demmy, about your grandfather," he started. "I need to tell you something important that The Kira Task Force found out. My father talked to your mother after your grandfather died and she told my Dad a secret that the family was keeping from you. Your grandfather was dying of terminal cancer. He didn't want you to know."

Demetre shook his head in disbelief. "No, you're lying. Don't lie to me here, not in front of Dana. You murdered him with the Death Note."

"That's true," Light admitted. "But so is what I just told you. Your grandfather didn't want to tell you because he knew you would be devastated, knowing how much affection you had for him. He was a lot older than he looked. I know your family marries and have children at a young age, and developing terminal cancer in one's fifties is horrid. But we also learned that the cancer would be extremely painful. So, please don't take this the wrong way, but your grandfather was saved from a horrible fate."

Demetre grit his teeth, shoved Light in the shoulder. "It doesn't make a right, you bastard! You killed him without a second thought for a personal agenda and to play a trick on L. You told me yourself."

"You may not believe me, but it is one killing I honestly regret," Light said with honest eyes. "If I had recalled your grandfather's name in that moment, I would not have…" Light shut-up. "Yes, I'm sorry. I really am."

Demetre looked into his friends eyes and saw no deception, Light even looked away abashed. This was Light talking. Even though he had the memories of the Death Note, he was still speaking from the heart. But Demetre didn't know what to believe and it conflicted him.

Dana produced a small smile even though she must have been in great pain. Demetre saw it.

"Come closer, _both_ of you," she asked gently, her voice even lower than before.

They did so, and then she took one hand each and cupped them together on her chest, over her heart, so Demetre and Light's hands were touching. Demetre looked at Light, and Light looked at him, bewildered.

"Never forget your friendship," she said; coughed. "Now that the truth is out…Demetre stay true to your morals, and Light, stay true to your principles. Never let anyone take them away from you and never stray away from the path that you feel is right. And always know that _I…love… you…_ "

Dana's voice trailed off as she took her last breath, her eyes closing. Her head slumped to the side, and she died.

"Dana!… _Oh, god, no…_ "

Demetre unlocked his hand from Light and shoved him away in anger, Light fell backwards. He then he took Dana in his arms and cradled her close to his chest. He rocked her back and forth as tears streamed down his face.

"Dana…" Light was heard, aghast.

" _I'll kill them both!_ " Angel's voice reverberated angrily. It almost seemed to boom. Another thunderclap crashed from the sky with ravishing lightning mimicking both anger and heartache. " _I'll kill both Zurn and Light Yagami for this!_ "

"No!" Demetre said a little more hostile than he intended, looking through a fog of tears. "Or you'll die!"

"I don't care!" the Shinigami said with rancor. "I loved Dana Chika! She was not only my handler, but I loved her like a family member. We grew to care for one another. And I won't let it end like this, she deserves better."

Angel stepped towards Light and Light began to scurry away on his hands and knees like a cowardly mouse. Light looked terrified.

Demetre didn't know whether on not he could stop her. The moment that Dana died, the Death Note reverted back to Angel, and it manifested in the Shinigami's hand. Angel had a writing instrument in her other hand and opened the Death Note.

"You murderous son of a bitch!" the Shinigami said to Light. "If it wasn't for you, Dana would still be alive. Death is the least of your worries. Shinigami can write down where their victims will be sent after they die, and for what I have in mind, you, Light Yagami, will spend the rest of your existence in a purgatory of pure hell! I'll take pleasure in killing you, even if it means my own demise!"

"Demmy! _Help!_ Stop her!" Light pleaded.

_Only my friends call me Demmy_ , he suddenly recalled.

Light had called him Demmy twice now, once in a moment of sincerity, and the other, now, in a moment of necessity. When they were speaking, it didn't skip his notice when Light was angry and hostile, Light called him Demetre. Light had affectionately given him the name Demmy out of friendship at an early age. It felt weird at the time, but Demetre welcomed the nickname. Now his friend was asking for his help.

He sighed.

Demetre turned to Dana and gently laid her down, then stood up. Light's words about his grandfather's illness rolled in his mind. Had his grandfather really been sick? Did a quick death really prevent his grandfather from suffering? It was still not right.

He walked past Angel and grabbed his friend by the shirt, hauling him to his feet. Then he pushed Light towards the edge of the building, and held him over open space. Light tried to keep a foothold to prevent from falling. He looked down to the street below, terrified. Then he looked back to Demetre.

"Demmy, please don't kill me," Light pleaded. "I wasn't the one that killed Dana."

Demetre felt nothing but anger and hurt. The pain in his heart made him want to lash out, and right now, Light was the only thing in front of him. He had already killed to save his friend, but what did it get him? The love of his life was now dead.

"Angel is right," he said. "If it wasn't for you, Dana was still be alive." _She disappeared long before you picked up a Death Note. Everything that has happened here can be attributed to the birth as Kira and my inclusion in these events. The Kira Incident concluded long before Geist made his way here dropping his Death Note. But it was because of you that he did so. The damage you have done to both worlds is irreparable!  
_

Demetre didn't want Light to have any information about the future or about the full extent of the 'Kira Incident', so he withheld any further incrimination.

"Ask yourself one question, Demmy," Light said, as he dangled over the edge. "Why did Zurn Wellington want me dead?"

Demetre looked into his friend's eyes confused. "To control usage of the Death Note, because you're a lone wolf. _The Savant Society_ frowned upon what you were doing and that is why I was recruited. It was in the hope that I could get through to you and to stop your reign of terror. There are other forces out there that are not so benevolent, they see you as a threat to their domain. They rather eliminate you then deal with your impulsiveness." But he stopped there from mentioning _the League of Darkness_. The last thing he wanted was to give Light information. "Zurn is a bonafide psychopath, while you still have some redeeming qualities. You showed me such with Dana. So, I'm not going to kill you."

Demetre pivoted and tossed Light on to the roof, his friend rolled. Light kept his arms into his chess holding onto the page of the Death Note. Light obviously did not want to give up his memories.

_I want to ask you, Light, if what me told me about his grandfather is true? But I wouldn't know whether to believe you. You lie so easily._

Why hadn't his grandfather told him? Demetre loved him more than life itself, like he loved Dana.

Demetre inhaled deeply and then screamed into the night and has loud as his voice would let him. It was a primordial scream of anger and heartache. The sky seemed to bellow loudly with him in a thunderous roar as if to share his pain.

Then lowered his head and put his hands to his face. He trembled with both anger and sadness.

He wondered for a moment if he should complete Light's name in his Death Note. Would doing so save the future from Kira's oncoming reign of tyranny? But he knew Dana wouldn't want that. And God would never forgive him if he murdered in malice. And Light was probably right about this other Kira, whom Rem, Misa's Shinigami, wrangles to become _Kira_ in Light's stead.

From what he learned about the future, the _Third Kira_ was even more ruthless than Light, killing countless innocent people for a personal financial agenda, selling his services like a hired assassin just like Zurn. And he was not disciplined or smart like Light. The future had changed when it came to the Third Kira, it was not the same person who Geist told him about in the original _Kira Incident_ —this was a new person in the role, and one Demetre, himself, may have caused to become inserted within. He didn't know how.

However, things had a way of playing out in the world that no one would have expected—the timeline changing from random events. It was called the _Butterfly Effect_. The simple premise that if a person, theoretically, was able visit the past, and if they accidentally stepped on a flower, then this seemingly insignificant thing could alter the future profoundly.

_For example, me killing that mugger when I first found the Death Note in that alley,_ he thought.

But he had no idea how such a thing could had factored in with a new person taking on the role as the Third Kira? Perhaps Misa's Shinigami found this person at random? Or maybe Rem was draw to him because he had similar qualities Light possessed? Maybe if the mugger had not been killed, the Third Kira may have been him? He had no idea, and how no way of knowing.

Demetre hated to think about it, but Light needed to become Kira again. This other Kira needed to be stopped, whomever and wherever he was, giving his friend back control, even if that meant sacrificing lives to do so—less lives—than having an even worse psycho in power.

_The lives of the many outweigh the lives of the few, or the one._ He heard this once from an old science fiction movie. But it was true.

He had saved Light from Bryant Harvey, but did he do the right thing? And he just saved Light again from being killed by a Shinigami. Was that the best thing to do? It was not about friendship, but about strategy just like in chess. It was the best option.

_And every time we played chess, Light, you could never beat me!_

Light had been put in checkmate, but the King still survived even though he was surrounded.

He stepped towards Light, the gravel beneath his boots crunching with an uncanny fury.

Light backed off, but he couldn't move fast enough. Demetre grabbed Light by his shirt, ripping buttons. He brought Light face-to-face and looked into his friend's eyes. And for the first time since it all began, he saw genuine fear in ' _Kira's_ eyes'. The tables had turned dramatically.

"I'm a religious person, as you know, and I believe in giving people second chances," Demetre said. "But remember this, Light. Every man has his day and history rears its ugly head when you lest expect it. Good will _always_ prevail over evil."

Light nodded. "I understand, but I'm trying to _save_ the world from evil! Why can't anyone understand this?"

"You're full of shit, Light! You give nothing but _excuses_ for your horrendous actions!"

Light sneered. "Hypocrite!"

Demetre had had enough. He delivered a hard head-butt to Light's face. Blood splattered from his friend's nose, knocking him down to the ground, and unconscious. Light's hand opened that was gripping the page of the Death Note and a sudden wind blew it away. Demetre watched it, as the wind took it. It blew towards his motorcycle which was still smouldering and was charred to cinders when it entered the fray.

The moment Light let go of the Death Note page, he would immediately forget everything about it and Shinigami. When he awoke, he would be amnesiac, and no doubt have a major headache.

Demetre felt his forehead, but he didn't hurt. He figured he was so pumped with adrenaline that the pain didn't register.

He went to Dana and picked up her body, cupping her limp body in his arms. He looked down at her face and tears began to flow from his eyes. Then he pressed his lips to hers and give her one final kiss. "Goodbye, my love," he then said, his voice cracked. "Parting is such sweet sorrow."

He looked at Geist, and the Shinigami then invoked the spatial aperture which erupted into existence like a rip through time. The fissure crackled with spacial-electricity and hovered just above the roof.

Once it was fully formed, Demetre then stepped into its aperture, followed by the others. He left Light to his own fate.

_To be continued..._


	59. A Warning Of Forbiddance

Light Yagami awoke slowly. He opened his eyes and found himself in the Kira Task Force's building infirmary in a hospital bed. His clothes had been removed and he was wrapped in a heat blanket. He was also handcuffed to the bed's side bar.

He moaned, feeling utterly exhausted, and he didn't know why. It wasn't a physical exhaustion, but his mind felt like it had gone through a workout. Then he touched his face and cringed. There was a bandage across his nose.

He tried to remember the last thing he was doing and how he had hurt it, but the more he pressed the more he was denied by his own consciousness. He couldn't remember how we got here either.

Then it hit him. Bryant Harvey had held him and Misa hostage. Misa had been ordered by Bryant Harvey to check out the elevator when it came down the lobby for any booby-traps, but the moment she entered, the doors shut, preventing her from leaving. Watari, he figured, had controlled it from the secondary control room L had set up.

_The moment the elevators doors closed, I went for Bryant Harvey's gun. I could've been killed. So stupid!_ A shot then rang out, he recalled, and afterwards, Bryant Harvey lay mortally wounded when Demetre had suddenly appeared with a gun in hand with Dana and his father at his side using the emergency escape stairs, using the elevator as a decoy. _Demmy killed Bryant Harvey to save me. He saved my life! I can never repay him._

How Demetre got into the building unnoticed was a mystery; maybe L could fill him in on that part because he couldn't remember if he was told.

He turned his head the right and saw his father sitting in a chair next to the hospital bed, sleeping at his bedside. His father looked exhausted, more of his grey hair was showing now, and Light wished his father would just retire from policing altogether. He didn't want his father to drop dead from a heart attack like he almost did from overexerting himself being involved with the Kira Case.

_I wanted to make you proud, Dad, and join the police force like you, but then this damn Kira business interfered with my plans, delaying everything. Now I have to go through the ringer and prove that I'm not Kira to L. I'm sorry, Dad. Whoever Kira is will get a rude awakening when he's found. And I'll demand an apology for all the trouble Kira's caused me._

Even though it was a huge inconvenience, he saw it as excellent practice for him to test his skills in one day becoming a detective. And when he finally put in his application to join the NPA after he was fully cleared of _being_ Kira, they would see his experience on the Kira Task Force working with L and that would get him major credibility to do the job. Perhaps he would even ask for a Letter of Recommendation from L.

"Dad?" he said softly, so not to startle him. "Dad…"

Soichiro Yagami opened his eyes, turned, and smiled at Light. "Light, you're okay? How do you feel?"

"I feel fine, why? Except for my nose." Light looked around the room and at all its medical equipment, he was attached to an IV line. "What happened? Why am I here? And where's Demmy and Dana?"

His father stood. "We found you on the roof a couple of hours ago, soaked with rain, your body was cold, and we feared the worse," he explained. "When you didn't return for a while, after you, Demetre and Dana went up on the roof to discuss whatever you had to talk about in private, we went up to check on you. You were discovered lying on the roof with a bloody nose and Demetre and Dana were gone."

"Really?" Light said confused.

"Can you tell me what happened? Did you and Demetre get into a fight? And why would he and Dana just abandon you like that? That's not what friends do. I'm going to have a talk with Demetre's parents after this."

"To be honest, Dad, I don't know," Light said. "I can't remember anything after I got up there, a complete blank. Maybe we did get into some sort of a fight and Demmy hit me so hard that he caused some kind of short-term amnesia?"

"Could be?"

Just then, L entered the infirmary. He put a hand up in friendly greeting. "Hi Light, back with us I see," he said casually. "You had us worried when we found you unconscious on the roof alone. Care to tell me what happened up there? Why you were laying unconscious with a bloody nose? And why there is a severely damaged and charred motorcycle up there? Not to mention a couple of severely dented HVAC roof grates. It almost looks like someone landed on them."

Light shook his head. "I have no clue, Ryuzaki," he answered. "Where is Demmy and Dana? I thought they would be here?"

He waited for an answer, but after a few silent moments, L replied, "That is another mystery. One of many you are again involved in. They've merely vanished without a trace much like your girlfriend did five years ago, only now she's taking her new boyfriend with her. But we did find evidence of a struggle on the roof after the rain tempered off. When it stops completely, then we can examine further. But there is some cause for alarm and there's quite a lot of blood."

Light swallowed and he felt his nose. "Did the blood come from me?"

"Undetermined as of yet, but not likely," L replied.

Matsuda and Misa then came into the room. The moment that Misa saw him, she went to Light's bed and hugged him with endearment.

She pulled back. "Oh Light, I'm so glad you're okay," she said relieved. "I was told what you did, and I think you were so brave when you went up against Bryant Harvey while I was trapped in the elevator." She pouted. "But I can't say much about that jerk of a friend of yours. He left without saying goodbye. That's so rude!"

"I agree," Soichiro Yagami said. "Demetre is your best friend, Light. Why would he just leave you like that? Why would Dana do that either after being away for five years? I thought she would like to catch up on lost time?"

Light nodded. "Me too," he said, a little sad.

"I'm very disappointed in Demetre Draycott," L said. "I was hoping to question him about his association with the Savant Society and get more information on its inner workings. The only thing Watari and I could collect were scraps of information that only scratched the surface of the cult. But I suppose that will have to do for now. Officially, visiting the Savant Mansion at the base of Mount Fuji is now off the table. Apparently Kira himself has issued a statement on Kira's Underground. I was able to take a snapshot of it before it disappeared on the website. It was a message directed at me, I think? But it was worded in a strange manner. Let me see if I can remember it." L put a thoughtful finger to his mouth. "' _Hungry is the wolf's fangs, he stalks wild in the shadows beyond, behold the pack's societal wraith_ ' Weird, eh?"

"What does it mean, Ryuzaki?" Soichiro asked.

L shrugged. "I'm reciting it to you orally, but it was phrased in form of a Haiku. A Japanese poem that has five, seven, and five lines…five words on the first line, seven words on the second, and five words on the last. Haikus are normally symbolic, depicting a place, animal, or something else, mostly naturalistic..."

_**( Hungry is the wolf's fangs,** _

_**he stalks wild in the shadows beyond;** _

_**behold the pack's Societal wraith! )** _

"This is not Kira's typical MO," L continued. "Kira is normally more forthright. But this _is_ a secret message to _someone_. And yet, this _is_ , seemingly, _from_ Kira. The media got a hold of it as well. I think this is from your friend Demetre under the guise of Kira, to stay away from _the Savant Society_. It could be a warning?"

"He's threatening us?" Matsuda chimed in.

"No, but I do think we should take this seriously," Ryuzaki replied. "I attempted to track his IP address, but he managed to evade my attempts when I contacted the Service Provider. The origin of the post bounced the signal from over a hundred different servers. None of which are anywhere near at Savant Mansion where Light managed to trace a previous message he posted. And there was one more clue that points in the direction that this message came from Demetre Draycott. There was an avatar next to handle name. It was a picture of a ferret."

"A ferret?" Matsuda voiced confused. "You mean the animal?"

Light got it immediately and looked at L. "It was a hidden message to _me_ , Ryuzaki, because he knows I'm on the Kira Task Force. I believe it _is_ in reply to my previous message and it _is_ a warning to stay away. The word 'Societal' is a clue to _the Savant Society_ to those who understand it. Since wolves hunt in packs, Demmy's telling us _they_ have 'sharp fangs'. Demmy is _warning_ us—I would even go so far as prohibiting us from investigating them for our own protection? Maybe _even_ asking us not to search for him or something dreadful will happen? That's how I see it. So, perhaps don't speak with Demmy's parents about this, Dad. It may be to protect them?"

Light's father nodded, yet reluctantly.

"The media gave Bryant Harvey the nickname 'The Ferret'," Light continued. "And when a Ferret eats, they nibble on their food. Demmy gave me the joke nickname 'Nimbler' in middle school because I would nimble at my food. It _was_ something only between _us_ , but now everyone here knows. This is why I know this Haiku could only come from him. He knew I would get the connection if I saw the post. Very clever on his part. But of course, Demmy's just as smart as I am." _Maybe even smarter_ , he thought. "He knows about you, Ryuzaki."

"Do you think he will reveal your identity?" Soichiro wondered.

"I don't think so," Light answered instead. "He knows how to keep a secret. We can trust him."

"If you say so, Light," L said. "I trusted him to come back and tell me everything about _the Savant Society_ , but he's not here. Trust is earned. And frankly, I have a bit of a trust issue with you with everything that has gone on lately, hence I had you handcuffed to the bed rail. This has now been the fourth such incident whereas I've allowed you out of the handcuffs and you've been involved in some strange happenings. You have either caused injury to another or yourself. Demetre Draycott hit you for some reason and then left you where you could have caught pneumonia or even died on the roof from blood loss. There is only one way down from the roof and that is through the stairwell, but if he and Dana had left without speaking with us, then the cameras would have shown it. I don't know where he went. And I doubt they scaled the side of the building to get down to the street below especially without a grappling hook. This building is forty-two stories above street level."

"I don't know what to say, Ryuzaki," Light said. "But I don't believe that Demetre would tell Kira about you or any of us. Neither of us even know your real name. So even if he knows what you look like, we all know that Kira needs a face and a name to kill. And believe me when I say, Demmy would in no way be associated or have _any_ association with a psychopathic killer like _Kira_. One hundred percent! And frankly, Ryuzaki, if we are telling the truth, I would trust Demmy above you any day of the week."

"Light!" his father scolded him. "Apologize!"

L put up a hand. "It's fine, Mr. Yagami, and quite understandable," he said. "I'd feel the same way about someone who keeps their real identity secret from others. Maybe one day I will tell you my real name, but that time is a long way off. Trust must be earned. And right now with you Light and everything that has occurred in recent weeks, my trust in you is very lacking. It's now back up to twenty-percent."

Light knew the twenty-percent was how much Ryuzaki suspected him of being Kira.

"Ryuzaki!" Soichiro Yagami condemned him. "Let's not get into another fight like the last time."

"Yes, I agree," L said. "And I'm already up to date on Misa Amane's popularity polls, so Matsuda telling me about them to interpose himself between us again would be redundant. And Light is in no position for a fight right now. Looks like he's already lost one today."

"Hey, no need to be insulting," Matsuda complained. "It worked, and that's all that mattered. You two were going at each other tooth and nail in one of the sitting rooms. So, there! Although I have to admit, Light, you do have a pretty nice left-hook."

"Yes, and it hurt," Ryuzaki said remembering, "but an eye for an eye, my friend. You almost blocked my kick, Light. And if it wasn't for the handcuffs, only you would have crashed into the couch. That had not been part of the plan when I struck back. I underestimated my own strength."

"My phone call stopped you two from fighting further," Matsuda added proudly. "So, even though you said it was stupid at the time, as a cop, I managed to deescalate things as per my training. I have no regrets about that."

Light huddled down underneath the heat blanket suddenly feeling vulnerable, it felt so warm like a mother's womb. He put the blanket over his head. "Everyone, please, just leave me alone right now," he said, his voice slightly muffled. "I'm feeling a little tired and I want rest."

In truth, he was thinking about Dana. Once again she had left him without saying goodbye. But this time, she had left with Demetre. The two of them were a couple now and it depressed him.

"Okay son," his father said. "We'll leave you to rest for a while."

"Get well soon, Light," Misa said a little dejected. "I would like to continue where we left off in the movie script, too."

_No,_ Light thought. _I'm letting you touch me again. I'm not ready for that kind of stimulation yet. I want to catch Kira first!_

"We'll get back to work on the Kira Case," L said. "And as soon as you're feeling better, you can tell me this idea you have about Kira and his most recent killings. You thought something was amiss, whereas prominent businessman are dying by unexplained heart attacks. You said it was a working theory and that you would clarify it. I'll wait for that information. So come back to us soon. I would also like to begin an investigation regarding Zurn Wellington hiring Bryant Harvey/Christian Troy to kill you, Light? I think it demands one at the very least."

"I phoned one of my contacts at the NPA and they say the new Chief just put Zurn on suspension pending an investigation," Soichiro said. "It seems Zurn may have been involved with the Black Market and organ harvesting in connection with a rash of homeless vagrant killings. The NPA received a tip about Zurn and a secret investigation began. He's currently on paid leave."

"Good," L said. "I'll put Mogi and Watari on the case. I don't like it when someone targets one my task force members without knowing why."  
Light didn't respond to anything they were saying, just listened. He waited and listened until their conversion was over, remaining totally quiet, then everyone shuffled out other infirmary, and he was alone.

The advent of Kira had changed this life forever and he hated the serial murderer for it. One day he would pay the murderer back a thousand fold for the pain and suffering Kira had caused himself and the world. He had no idea why Zurn Wellington would want him dead, but his main focus was on Kira. Everything that had happened to him could be attributed to Kira.

"Mark my words, Kira," he murmured to himself. "You'll get what's coming to you, this I vow! And the world will see you as you truly are—a living, breathing coward."

_To be continued..._


	60. The Outsider

Dana's body burned in a ceremonial pyre pit in the _Praxeum/Altar Room_ wrapped in her white robe with friends and family and members of the High Council of the Savant Society in attendance. Tacoma preceded over the funeral and recited a prayer of Remembrance.

Demetre stood to the side and away from the main group not dressed in a white robe like the rest. He wore all dark clothes.

Dana's father said he didn't want Demetre with them, blaming Demetre for her death. Demetre could understand the man's heartbreak. But even though they knew it was Zurn Wellington who murdered Dana, Demetre had been the catalyst of her demise. Demetre also blamed himself.

When the funeral was over and the members of _the Savant Society_ filed out, Dana's father gave Demetre a hate-filled stare as he departed.

Demetre didn't waste any time and went back to the quarters he had shared with Dana in the Savant Mansion and began to pack. He didn't want to stay at the mansion any longer. He was an outsider when he arrived and he was an outsider again with many of the Society members looking down upon him with animosity. Dana had been much loved. So, it was best he left.

He had a mission now, a new purpose in life. He would find Zurn and make him pay!

Brother Alexandre had come to him in secret with information from Tacoma before the funeral and it was confirmed now that Zurn had joined _the League of Darkness_. From that moment, Demetre vowed if it took everything he had, he would hunt Zurn down to the ends of the earth. _The Savant Society_ frowned upon revenge and the rules stated that no member was to attack another, it was grounds for removal. Zurn was no longer a member, but as long as Demetre was, he must abide by their rules. It was yet another reason to leave.

But what could they do? Take away his Death Note? Use a _Death Eraser_ to rub away the protection he had given himself from dying at the hands of another Death Note user? He couldn't allow that to happen or have Dana's death unavenged.

The Bible said revenge was wrong and to forgive was divine, but as far as he was concerned cold-blooded murder was worse. He didn't care if he was stepping out from God's good grace. His heart hurt and he had nothing but contempt for the forces that caused Dana's death. He knew God would understand eventually. God delivered The Flood that killed nearly the entire population of the planet in ancient times. Noah built the Ark to save whom he could, going against God's will. There were countless times God unleashed fury upon _His_ Creations.

_If Man was created in God's image, then I have the same right to act as I see fit. I'm following by example._

He thought about that. Was this how Light thought when be began using the Death Note? Since the world was out of control, did it need someone to fix things, to act, and to circumvent the evils plaguing the world? It almost make him question God. Why did God allow all these bad things to happen? _No, it is Man's failing, not God's,_ he reasoned. _Am I acting just like Light Yagami in wanting revenge on Zurn for killing Dana?_

It sort of put things into perspective and he understood where Light was coming from.

_But, I'm nothing like Light! If it wasn't for Zurn, I wouldn't have killed Bryant Harvey. Zurn made me murder another human being, and for Light/Kira, who will eventually become the worse mass murderer the world will ever come to know._

He saw the irony of it and his own beliefs. The entire paradoxical nature of what transpired in the last few of months made him doubt everything he believed in. He needed to get away and think, take stock of his own life, and what was truly important.

He packed a carry bag, he was going to travel light. In the last couple of days since bringing Dana's body back, he had ordered and purchased another motorcycle with rush delivery knowing he would be leaving—a steel black Kawasaki Ninja 250-R motorcycle. It was currently parked in a spot in the underground storage under the mansion. It was completely paid for, paying cash.

He picked up his well-worn Bible and shoved it into the bag along with clothes and other items literally burying it under everything.  
Geist stood next to him. "Demmy, think this over," the Shinigami said, almost pleading. "I like it here, and Angel and I—she needs me right now. I'm the only one she'll talk to. She's refusing to hand over her Death Note to the High Council to be passed to another Society member. They say if she doesn't, they will kick her out of the Society if she doesn't have another handler. Angel may have to go back to the Shinigami Realm."

_As Angel should, only Dana deserved it._ "Then stay," he said indifferently. "I'll hunt down Zurn alone if I have to." He held a gun that he purchased in secret, checked the magazine, then put into his bag. Soichiro Yagami kept his other one. "But I'll still be the owner of the Death Note, unless you want to erase my name with a Death Eraser and kill me, so you can be attached to another and stay with Angel?"

"Hey," Geist said annoyed. "You don't have to be so dark. You've only made one kill with the Death Note. Most members in the Savant Society have made more than one. The rule state I'm your Shinigami until you die or the Death Note is finished, which ever comes first. However, the pages will never end. The moment you use up one page another takes its page, so the Death Note won't end. And I don't want to kill you, Demmy. I'm a god of death, but you're a good person. And—"

"Your decision," Demetre said, as he continued to pack. "I don't plan on using the Death Note again, so I may not even bring it with me."

"You can relinquish ownership. You name will still remain inside, I will not erase it. But your memories of it will disappear."

"And so will my pain? Not a chance!" Demetre answered. "I'll forget about Light being Kira. After we settled things on the roof, I learned my grandfather was dying of terminal cancer. I confirmed it in speaking with my parents, but I didn't tell them about Dana. Still, what Light did was abhorrent. No one knew how much time my grandfather had left, but whatever time he did, Light stole it away. I'll never forgive him for that."

"Do you plan on confronting Light Yagami again some time in the future? You obviously still have a grudge. And what about Zurn Wellington? Are you going to kill him for what he did to Dana?"

Demetre paused, looked at Geist, then went back to packing. "Murder is a sin," he said flatly. "And Bryant Harvey was a pawn."

"You're being too hypocritical of yourself, Demmy. You saved Light, your friend. He wasn't under the influence of the Death Note at the time. There is a difference between _Light Yagami_ , your friend, and _Kira_ , the serial murderer. You told me yourself after we got back. Without the Death Note, Light Yagami would not be Kira. So, saving your friend at the Kira Task Force building was out of friendship. Just think about that."

Demetre shook his head. "Geist, you're just talking nonsense," he replied. "Light _is_ Kira and that is etched in stone now. I see no difference."

"You pride yourself on your faith, so believe that you made the right decision," the Shinigami said. "And even if Bryant Harvey did kill Light Yagami, it would not have stopped Zurn from killing Dana anyway. He said you were a thorn in his side. You were in Zurn's crosshairs. _The League of Darkness_ is now watching you and Zurn will try to kill you. Are you willing to sell your soul for revenge? You're not that type."

He turned to Geist. "You sound so condescending. You kill to stay alive. That is _what_ Shinigami are. We humans have to fight to survive. Yet Shinigami can come along and take away the life we worked so hard to strive for in an instant to feed your selfish nature for eternal life. I never planned to be the owner of a Death Note, it just happened. So, forgive me, if my pain means little to a god of death!"

Geist grumbled under his breath, he sounded irked. Obviously Demetre had touched the proverbial nerve.

"You're starting to piss me off, Demmy," Geist said. "You've made one kill in the Death Note and that is the minimum any handler must do to make an official contract with a Shinigami. Otherwise, a god of death doesn't have to show themselves and can retrieve the notebook at any time without notice. Even Dana wrote down more names than you! And yet you hold her on a higher pedestal. Who is the bigger hypocrite?"

"Shut up!" Demetre picked up the Death Note that was on the bed and threw it at Geist in anger and frustration. It passed through Geist when he became transparent. "How dare you compare Dana to someone like Light!"

Geist looked at it and then retrieved the Death Note from the floor. He tossed it back with a flick of a wrist. Demetre caught it with both hands, fumbling slightly with it.

"Right now, your pain is controlling you. Anger doesn't suit you, Demmy. You're too smart than to bow to it." Geist spoke to him calmly, as if he was keeping his own frustration in check talking to an upset child. "That is yours," Geist then said, pointing a bony finger at the Death Note. "And it will _not_ belong to anyone else. We are not supposed to grow attached to our handlers, but I find you a different breed of human and your empathy separates you from others. You have sharp fangs, but you don't blend in with this societal pack of wolves. You are better than the Savant Society. When I dropped my Death Note, I wanted to experience what Ryuk did, and to find someone who will entertain me like Light Yagami. And I did. You've shown me there is much more to learn about humans than simply their greed and self-indulgence. In other words, I wish to learn more about the human experience from you. So, I'm coming with you."

Demetre looked at Geist with awe.

"People change, but I don't want you to change, Demmy," Geist said kindly. "I'll help you find Zurn Wellington, and make him pay for what he's done. But don't change who you are inside or I will end our contract without notice. Understand?"

Demetre produced a thing smile. "Thank you," he said.

_I'm glad I didn't to have to bribe you with a basket of apples, because I really did want you to come with me, Geist._

Just then, a knock came at the door to Demetre's quarters. He was in the bedroom and looked through the open door to the other room. He hadn't told anyone that he had made the decision to leave the Savant Mansion, but he knew some people had the idea already.

He went to the door, but he would not be deterred.

The moment he opened the door, he was stunned to see Adam Rothschild, the eight-year old Death Note user. He was holding his Shinigami Cerberus in his arms—a boy and his dog, per se. Over the last couple of months, he had been hanging around Demetre like a son looking for a parenteral figure to look up to. And it was not difficult to notice that the boy had grown attached to him.  
The boy looked at him with a determined stare.

"Hello…"

"Demetre Draycott, make no mistake, if you plan to go after Zurn Wellington then we are coming with you," the boy said firmly, Cerberus barked in agreement. "You're going to need help hunting down that murderous bastard!" Adam grinned broadly. "And don't tell to me that this isn't what you plan to do. I can read your mind like an open book. _The League of Darkness_ is dangerous and you will not be able to go up against them alone. You're going to need allies and people you can trust."

_To be continued..._


	61. For Dana

"No way!" Demetre said firmly, then walked away, but he left his quarters' door open. He continued to pack.

The kid followed him into the bedroom.

"I want to help," Adam said, almost begging.

"No! The fact that Zurn is willing to murder so senselessly means I need to do this _alone_." He went into a dresser drawer and took out two pairs of socks and underwear and stuffed them into his carry bag. "I will not put anyone else in harms away. And besides, you're only eight years old."

"I'm almost nine," Adam said with a boyish grin. "My birthday is in a couple of days."

"Happy Pre-birthday, but I won't be here to celebrate it," Demetre said, zipping up his carry bag after putting the Death Note inside. "Geist will be coming with me, so you will need to stay to look after Angel. She needs someone to help her get through these difficult times." _Like I did when Dana left Light. I was with him, and even allowed Light to cry on my shoulder. How times have changed._

"I want to go with you, too." Angel's voice heard, the Shinigami manifesting through the wall of Demetre's bedroom. "And you can't stop me," she then said. Angel and Geist looked at each other and they both smiled. "Two Shinigami are better than one."

Demetre mentally sighed.

He didn't think Angel should come, but saying no to her would only make her more driven to follow.

However with Dana gone, Demetre had a theory that Angel wanted to make sure nothing else happened to anyone she cared about it, hence her wanting to come to protect him. It was obvious, she cared about him like Angel cared about Dana. But Angel needed a handler if she was to stay in the Human World, or she would be forced to return back to the Shinigami Realm.

Suddenly, Angel tossed her Death Note at him. He instinctively caught it. And he immediately knew what it meant like she had read his mind.

"You're my new handler after touching my Death Note," Angel stated. "It's not against the rules for a human to be owner of two Death Notes. And this also means I can come with you. But I won't make you write down a name in the notebook to cement the contract. Let's call you my foster handler for now, and you're merely holding onto the Death Note. But I won't waste any time looking for a permanent handler."

Demetre rolled his eyes. _That was sneaky but smart,_ he thought. _It was also a way to get around the rules of her realm and that of the Savant Society. Yet now, I'm the owner of two Death Notes._ He sighed.

Geist smiled. "Now you can stay in the Human World," he said happily, holding her hand.

To Demetre, it boggled the mind that two Shinigami could have a human-esque emotional connection. But he figured love was universal, much like a _Universal Construct_ by which the principles of the universe must adhere to. He wasn't going to refuse her help now.

"I'm going, too," Adam then added, putting up his hand excitedly. Demetre looked back at the boy. "I can find him. Zurn can block my special empathic gift to read people's emotions, so I can _feel_ his barrier. He should be easy to find."

"No, you're just a kid."

"I have issues with Zurn, too," Adam said seriously. "Before you became a member of _the Savant Society_ , Prometheus, Zurn's Shinigami, continuously attacked Cerberus. I don't know why, jealousy I figure? But even back then, I sensed Zurn had a hidden agenda. And I think he knew I was trying to learn it. I believe he received secret training from _the League of Darkness_ to erect a mental barrier from my empathic probing knowing of my gift. But since Zurn had been with the Society for a while, the High Council sided with him. And I was told to back off, as if Cerberus and I, because we were new, were to blame for our fights, provoking Prometheus. I would be kicked out of _the Savant Society_ if it didn't stop. But now with his deception out in the open, the Council believes me. I liked Dana Chika, too. So, I'm coming with you to make Zurn pay. I know you purchased another motorcycle after you crashed it on the roof of the Kira Task Force headquarters when you went to rescue Light Yagami from Zurn's assassin—does it come with a sidecar? I don't have wings like a Shinigami."

Demetre sighed. He didn't know what to do. Yet Adam's power would be useful to him to find Zurn.

Adam smiled. "And if you're wondering about permission, that I'm too young to go off on some adventure with you, then don't worry. I spoke to Tacoma just before coming here and he said I go. He knew you were going to leave and would need some help. And, another thing, he has set up a private and unlimited bank account just for you. He wants justice for Dana as well. And secretly, so does her father."

Demetre's mouth dropped stunned.

"Dana's father blamed you for her death, but after he was told the complete story by Tacoma, he now has a different perspective on it. I spoke to both of them just before I came here, he and Tacoma were speaking in the hall outside the Praxeum. He wants Zurn to pay for his crime. He knows how much you cared for her and told me to give you a message, knowing how much you are a believer in God—Psalm 26:9."

Demetre took a moment to think, then he smiled. " _Do not take my soul away with sinners, or my life with men of bloodshed,_ " he recited from memory. _In other words: Go get him for me!_ "Message received."

"I can also help keep an eye on Light Yagami, empathically watch him," Adam said. "I foresee a dark future for him."

"What do you mean? I've seen the future, Geist has shown it to me. Kira's future is next to concrete for the next four to five years. Light will murder and control the world with fear. He'll find this Third Kira whom Rem has designated to be a place-holder, kill him, and get back a Death Note. Light will then go on a killing spree. I can't stop that. My insertion into these events hasn't made an insignificant change."

"Then forget about Light Yagami," Adam said.

"I can't do that," Demetre said. "I need to do something about him before he unleashes hell upon the planet."

"We have bigger fish to fry," Adam replied. "And remember the saying: _God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference._ Besides, _the League of Darkness_ is a much bigger threat."

"What are you saying?"

" _Kira_ will be the lest of our problems if the LOD isn't stopped. Zurn tried to kill Light Yagami because he was a rogue with a Death Note, but next to the LOD, he's insignificant in the grand scheme of things. And if you think the hundreds of people Light has killed with the Death Note is a lot, then just wait until the LOD gets started. The leader of _the League of Darkness_ believes humankind, all those who refuse to adhere to his power, will be crushed under the weight of an 'iron hammer'—to quote the Koran. And they will be killed. He has invited those with like-minds within and outside _the Savant Society_ to join him. If he is allowed to continue with his plans, along with his army of malevolent Shinigami, Humankind will be devastated. They've been watching _you_ , Demetre, and they already see you as some sort of threat. But I don't know why yet."

"Maybe because he has a good heart," Angel voiced.

Demetre didn't respond.

Adam nodded. "I think Angel has a point. You're a good person with a kind heart, Demetre. But you represent _rebellion_ to the LOD, and they want absolute order. No doubt, this is the reason why the LOD through Zurn wanted to eliminate Light Yagami since he is a rogue with a Death Note going against _their_ grand agenda, unbeknown to him. Additionally, Geist has chosen to stay with you instead of leaving for someone with more entertainment value, per se. It is not normal for gods of death to remain long with a handler. Since he came from the future, he represents the same. Therefore, you two are a perfect fit. Geist is the Chewbacca to your Han Solo." Adam chuckled. "Can you growl like a Wookie, Geist?"

"What's a Wookie?" Geist demanded growly.

Demetre smirked. "I'll explain later," he said.

"Anyway, getting back to what I was saying," Adam said. "It is a juxtaposition of a Shinigami's nature to stay in one place for very long. And to care about their handlers invites their own demise if they kill for them, they'll turn to dust. So, the very thought that Geist wishes to remain at your side as you hunt down Zurn Wellington goes to the fact that he likes and cares about you."

Demetre looked to Geist. Geist gave him a nod as if to affirm what Adam said.

"There appears to be a misconception regarding Shinigami," Adam continued. "With _the Savant Society's_ co-habitation program, we've learned so much about them. You are a kind person, Demetre, and you invite the kind kinship of others. And the affection Angel and Geist have towards each other obviously proves there is much more to learn about Shinigami than we know about."

Demetre nodded, agreeing. Indeed, there was _so much_ more to learn about them.

He suddenly noticed Geist's belt buckle that was shaped in the form of a figure-eight. He had made a mental note of it before but it didn't register again until now. Geist dressed in a mannerism than was very bizarre, but Light had one just like it. He wondered where Geist got the buckle from.

"Can I call you Demmy?" Adam suddenly asked.

Demmy looked at Adam, the belt buckle forgotten. "Of course. All my friends call me Demmy," he said. Then he smiled at Angel. "I may be your foster handler, but we're all friends here, Angel. Call me Demmy, too."

Angel smiled. "Thank you, Demmy," the Shinigami said.

Angel was chosen for Dana, but Angel became attached to her much like one would bond with a friend or family member. Cerberus was a different case and he chose Adam before being brought to the Savant Society. It was a special bonding, Demetre was told. Now Geist chose to stay with him because the Shinigami cared for him. It was bizarre, and he was taken aback by the dynamic collective around him. He was truly blessed by a good group of friends, three Shinigami and one young, empathic boy. He couldn't help but mentally chuckle thinking about it.

He momentarily shut his eyes and took hold of his crucifix through his shirt.

_Dana, if you can hear me. I will always love until the end of time. And promise you, I will make Zurn pay!_

He swore he felt something touch his lips at that moment—a kiss? He then threw open his eyes. And he didn't know if it was his imagination or just wishful want, but suddenly, Dana's transparent spirit floated majestically in front of him, smiling. But only he could see her.

_I will always be with you, Demmy._ He heard her say in is mind.

Then she vanished.

He smiled.

She was okay.

He picked up his carry bag, grabbed a jacket, and they all set off.

While Kira preyed on the world's criminal population, they would be hunting for another killer—one just as cunning and ruthless.

Demetre knew he would eventually have to confront _the League of Darkness_ , and its leader the _Dark One_ , if he was to find Zurn Wellington. And he vowed he wouldn't stop until justice was served—

_—for Dana_

_To be continued..._


	62. The Axis Of Evil

The large 'Hole' sat in the middle of an enclosed, clandestine, dimly lit chamber, secured within an elegantly designed holder crafted to look like falcon's talon, deep within a secret lair controlled by _the League of Darkness_.

Surrounding it stood three individuals all gazing into its reflective surface. They were watching live events taking place inside _the Savant Society_ , specifically inside Demetre Draycott's personal quarters, thanks to a mosquito-sized Shinigami who was there spying, able to see and listen to everything in real-time that went on, using its own portable 'Hole' as a surveillance device that every Shinigami possessed.

Demetre Draycott was leaving the Savant Mansion, packing up clothes and other items, including his now two Death Notes. With him was his own Shinigami named Geist and Draycott's recently deceased girlfriend's Shinigami Angel, and they were conversing and discussing plans to hunt down Zurn Wellington. Adam Rothschild, the extraordinary gifted young eight year old boy who had the power two 'feel' people's emotions, a form of psychic empathic ability, was with them with his Shinigami Cerberus. He was joining them.

A dapperly dressed gentleman in a black suit and white tie stood next to his Shinigami, he mused as he watched the events unfold. Todd Van Der Hydren, the leader of the LOD, was not happy about recent events that had unfolded. Zurn Wellington had failed to eliminate Light Yagami, Kira, and it was Demetre Draycott, an unforeseen factor in the Kira events, that had him concerned.

He gave a glance over to his Shinigami called Summoner, she did the same, both weary of Demetre Draycott and what damage he could do.

Summoner, Hydren's Shinigami, was completely veiled in a red tight burka-type shawl that hindered her face from view allowing only the whites-slits of her eyes to show. But it was evident that Summoner was feminine, exhibiting firm buxom breasts. Her entire body was covered from head-to-toe except for her white skinned hands.

The leader of _the League of Darkness_ was known as the 'Dark One' because he used the darkest form of the Death Note and its powers to influence others to follow his lead. The Death Note was death itself whence a name was written in its pages, but it had more power than most anyone realized. All except Demetre Draycott, who appeared to have figured out some of its rich powers by manipulating it in such a way as to preserve his own life from being affected by its note. Effectively, he stopped it, rendering the Death Note's power useless.

It was called the _Infinity Rule_ , but with it came a power the wielder possessed that could control other Shinigami to do his bidding. Draycott could gather an army of Shinigami by becoming ownership of their Death Notes and ordering them to do anything he wished, and they could not refuse. And they could not kill him because Draycott was protected by his own trick. This made him powerful and dangerous.

And he already had three Shinigami at his side, Geist, Angel, and Cerberus, with the empathic Adam Rothschild.

However, Todd Van Der Hydren was unafraid. He was conjoined universally with Summoner, so he shared her powers. When they were chosen for each other at _the Savant Society_ , they were matched because they most compatible. Ideally, Told Van Der Hydren thought the philosophy adhered within _the Savant Society_ about Human and Shinigami co-habitation was ridiculous and the world needed a change. Summoner agreed, and with Hydren, they abandoned _the Savant Society_ and created _the League of Darkness_ , recruiting like-mind Shinigami and people.

There were many different kinds of Shinigami and sizes varied. Some had solid bodies, some were ethereal and ghostly, some were aquatic, and others could cast special spells using _Universal Constructs_ to control the deceased. Summoner was a spell caster and could summon scripts written in her Death Note that the undead must adhere to like laws. They were powerless against them.

Her Death Note was different. Instead of writing down names, she wrote down Shinigami names and took their remaining lifespans. Some Shinigami were immune to her spells like the Shinigami King and some of his higher council, but most were fair game. And because of Hydren's connection to her, he could use her power to control others to do his bidding.

Todd Van Der Hydren believed that power of the Death Note was absolute. _The Savant Society_ was created out of the necessity to leash Shinigami from killing humans haphazardly. But _the League of Darkness_ was created to allow Shinigami to do what came natural to them and to kill humans to increase their life spans, while controlling the Human World's population from growing exponentially.

Until Kira came along.

Then thousands of people started to die of unexplained heart attacks.

Kira was wasting valuable life spans that could be used to further top up those Shinigami that needed them. Therefore, Hydren knew it was necessary to stop Kira. He thought of first to leash Kira, to control him, even to ask him to join the LOD, but then it was thought best to just eliminate Light Yagami to regulate the situation completely.

It was all a game to Kira, a battle of wits against a super detective named L. But it was not a game to Hydren or the LOD. Zurn Wellington had been given the task to eliminate Light Yagami, but he failed. Light Yagami needed it to be controlled or eliminated.

But it was too late now for either.

Hydren knew Yagami would eventually get his power back after he found this other person who was posing as Kira in Yagami's instead, then Kira's real killing spree would begin.

But first, the collective inside the chamber had a different adversary in its sight, Demetre Draycott.

Todd Van Der Hydren breathed out.

"So, they plan on coming after me?" Zurn laughed. Prometheus, coiled around his body in its Ethereal form. Zurn stood next to Hydren, viewing the 'Hole'. "Let them come and I'll destroy them all. Their powers are pathetic compared to Prometheus."

Hydren eyed Zurn. The man was a brutish sort of man build like a body builder and he wasn't terribly smart. He also had a temper. It was unknown why Zurn was accepted into _the Savant Society_. It was after Hydren had left to start _the League of Darkness_. However, Zurn did have a powerful Shinigami and it made him a suitable ally to the LOD, so Hydren had recruited Zurn personally. And it didn't take much to convince him. A psychopath like Zurn Wellington always graved power.

Zurn watched Demetre Draycott leave his private quarters with Adam Rothschild in the accompaniment of the Shinigami in the 'Hole'. However, the mosquito-sized spy-Shinigami did not follow, not wanting to be caught.

"Don't be so overconfident, Zurn," Hydren said stridently. "Demetre Draycott is an unknown factor here. We have all seen the future and how Kira, Light Yagami, controls the world with fear for the next couple of years. The Kira Incident, as it will later be known, did not include Draycott originally, and the timeline has been changed as a result. Not by much, but enough to make a noticeable difference. The future is never absolute. Draycott could be dangerous and he must be watched closely."

"He is stronger and smarter than Light Yagami," Summoner spoke in a slithery tone of voice. "And my spells won't work on his Shinigami. Geist is protected somehow by a force even I can't penetrate. Maybe it is because he comes from one-thousand years in the future?"

"Oh please," Zurn said dismissively. "What can that fool do? True, Draycott was smart enough to figure it out a version of the 'Infinity Rule' on his own, a rule that creates a loop in the Death Clock so a person cannot be killed by the Death Note. But he refuses to use it to kill with it. Not utilizing it will be his downfall."

"The moment Demetre Draycott used the Death Note he became intertwined within our world," Summoner said. "It only takes one name to be written down for the laws governed by its pages to take effect. Regardless of his personal beliefs, the _Universal Construct_ is absolute…It is Shinigami Law. Demetre Draycott cannot go to Heaven or Hell."

Zurn laughed. "According to Draycott's beliefs, to break God's law is to hold yourself in contempt of _God's_ divinity. He killed, not only to protect himself when he found the Death Note, but also to protect Light Yagami from Bryant Harvey when I sent him to kill Yagami. While I didn't plan for things to happen the way they did, I did teach Draycott a lesson he will never forget. I killed his little bitch of a girlfriend."

"And now he's coming after you," Hydren said perturbed.

"And _us_ ," Summoner added. "You're just as much of a hypocrite as Demetre Draycott. To Protect And Serve, the policemen's code—you broke your own oath and became one of _us_. You are in no position to pass judgement."

"Bah!" Zurn waved Summoner off. "The LOD and I share the same values. I'm yours for now on. I've been put on paid leave from the NPA, suspected in participating in Black Market affairs—selling organs to willful buyers. It helped with few debts I had and Prometheus lapped up the plebs remaining lifespans. Prometheus's removal of those organs were surgical, it was a pleasure watching her work. Over all, a win-win, and exactly in-line with _the League of Darkness_ ideals—eliminating overpopulation of the useless masses done right."

Prometheus's tongue slithered with pride, the Shinigami smiling.

Hydren exhaled. He couldn't argue with that. "But your actions drew too much attention," he said. "Cut all ties with the NPA."

"I already have," Zurn replied boastfully.

Summoner sifted through her Death Note, her boney-white fingers moving each page with precision and forethought of her intention. She stopped on a page near the back. "Ah yes, the _Universal Construct_ can reset itself, just as I suspected."

"But you just said the _Universal Construct_ was absolute?" Zurn rebuked.

"I had a theory, and my Death Note scripts, the spells I can summon confirmed it," Summoner replied. "There are examples throughout the years where those who have used the Death Note have managed to by-pass the rules and have gone to Heaven or Hell, but only with extenuating circumstances. For example, _a_ _great sacrifice_ that overrides the _Universal Construct_. But it is extremely rare. And it takes the will of a powerful deity to do so, a deity who can invalidate the natural laws of the universe. And there are such beings. But they care nothing about humans."

Todd Van Der Hydren looked at her inquisitively.

"Draycott has a righteous soul," the Shinigami then said, "but he only human. Despite being a good person, he will eventually fall, and he will fall hard into the depths of despair. I have foreseen it. I have taken notice of the timeline. The Kira Incident will continue as prophesied, but Draycott will forge his own path within its framework. Light Yagami and Demetre Draycott will meet again. If Draycott can crawl himself out of his emotional downtrodden, then the pain he suffers will bridge a gap needed for him to become one of the _chosen ones_ with Geist at his side."

"Like I said," Zurn said, smiling with a sinister grin, "let them come, and I'll destroy them. And I'll kill Demetre Draycott. Trust me. Our rivalry isn't finished yet. He can't be killed by the Death Note, but here's more than one way to skin a cat!"

Todd Van Der Hydren looked over at Summoner and the Shinigami shared his glance, one of reserved trepidation.

_To be continued..._


	63. Epilogue: Rebel With A Cause

Demetre and Adam took an elevator down to the underground storage facility underneath the Savant Mansion where Demetre stored his motorcycle, while Geist and Angel transversed ahead through the floor transposing their bodies like spectres.

Geist couldn't believe how far he had come since arriving in the Human World. Originally, he wanted to be strictly entertained like Ryuk had with Kira; he had spoken to Ryuk in the future and the Shinigami told him his entire adventure.

Ryuk was chained up like some dog in a cave when Geist saw him, he did a lot of damage in the Human World. When Ryuk returned, the Shinigami King stripped Ryuk of his Death Note and prohibited every Shinigami from leaving without strict authorization. And yet, Geist purposely disobeyed the rules and dropped his Death Note to the Human World and travelled one thousand years into past to retrieve it.

However now, and despite trying many times, he could no longer open a spacial gateway back to his own time period, effectively cutting him off. Either the Shinigami King was preventing him or the timeline had changed due to his efforts—changing the atmosphere of his world. Had he been successful? There was no way to find out. Nevertheless, it meant he was trapped in the past without a way back.

He knew that was risk when he dropped his Death Note, but now reality set in. But, he didn't want to go back. He liked it here. And he had had a lot more freedom and all the fresh apples he could eat.

Demetre Draycott had not been involved in the original _Kira Incident_ , as it was to be later be known, nor had Zurn Wellington. But much like the theory if one small thing is changed in the past the future can be profoundly altered now rang true. Geist had checked his Portable 'Hole' and learned the timeline had been changed, but only slightly from last he did. Something about the _Third Kira_ had changed, which then changed another event, and so on. Demetre, himself, had not changed things as far as he knew. And he may never know.

But something about the mugger Demetre had killed to save his own life was important to the changed events. Geist just didn't know why? Maybe he had been the original _Third Kira_ , now replaced by this new person with the Death Note Rem, Misa's Shinigami, found?

The _Kira Incident_ was still to occur, but Demetre's rivalry with Zurn was new, and would now be interposed within the framework adding a new element to the events which would create some welcome and brand new entertainment that Geist had no idea the outcome. And this excited him. It was exactly what he wanted when he dropped his Death Note. Something new to explore and witness.

He was thankful in meeting Demetre. He was a human he could call a friend instead of just using him to add to his lifespan. According to Shinigami Law, it would have fallen onto him to write Demetre's name in his Death Note. However, with Demetre's little trick, equivalent to what Shinigami called the _Infinity Rule_ , that was gone. Besides, he had no intention of ever doing so. He liked Demetre Draycott.

He felt sorry for Angel, however, with Dana Chika's death. She loved Dana and Geist had got used to Dana being around. Demetre really loved Dana and after he brought Dana's body back to the Savant Mansion and explained what had happened to Tacoma, one of the High Council members, Demetre later went back to his quarters and spent an hour crying. All Geist could do was to be supportive.

Selfish or not, Geist was glad Angel had no killed Light Yagami. He knew Angel blamed both Light and Zurn for Dana's death, but if Geist had lost Angel, he wouldn't know what he would do. He loved Angel like Demetre loved Dana, so he understood on some level Demetre's heartache.

Demetre and Adam exited the elevator on the storage level, it was three levels below ground. Geist and Angel waited near a caged area where Demetre stored his motorcycle. His previously motorcycle had been destroyed during the mission to save Light Yagami from Zurn Wellingtons's assassin Bryant Harvey. But Geist thought this model was a better, slicker, and _badass_! Like it belonged to a rebel with a cause.

Demetre entered the cage storage area and unveiled the steel black Kawasaki Ninja 250R motorcycle under a tarp. Geist had been told that Demetre's father had taught him how to ride dirt bikes when he was a kid and later a motorcycle, so it was natural this was his ride of choice.

Demetre and Adam put their gear in the two rear storage compartments. It was a one-seater motorcycle, but Adam was small enough to ride behind Demetre, and there just happened to be another helmet. However, Adam could not hold onto Cerberus as he rode, so the Pomeranian dog/Shinigami was handled off to Angel to carry, since Angel had wings and could fly. Geist also had wings that he could protrude from his back, it was how he managed to fly over the Kanto Region and find Demetre in the first place when he emerged from the spacial gateway.

Adam took a moment and felt for Zurn with his special empathic gift. But he was unsure. All he knew was to head north.

Demetre revved up the motorcycle, then he and Adam put on their helmets.

Then Adam suddenly pointed. Geist was taken aback that the boy was pointing at him, or at least in his direction. Adam tapped Demetre's shoulder, getting his attention, and the moment Demetre looked, it appeared Demetre smiled behind his helmet.

_What's so funny, Demmy?_

Geist looked confused, then he looked at Angel, who was holding Cerberus in her arms like a new-born infant. Then he understood. It was like the birth of new family, and in a way, he had been the architect that brought everyone together. Geist smirked.

Demetre than directed for them to go.

Adam wrapped his arms around Demetre's stomach and the motorcycle kicked off, following the common area up three floors, and out of the garage entrance into the light. The Shinigami followed in winged flight as the motorcycle pulled onto the open road.

And Geist couldn't wait for a new adventure to begin, one where he had no idea what would happen.

**END**


End file.
